


Just a Little Spark

by reinla



Category: True Blood (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:48:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23691868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reinla/pseuds/reinla
Summary: It starts with the events in Dallas. Will Sookie be able to save Godric from death? Will she accept that the Viking is better than Compton? Join the group on a little trip as Godric, Eric, and Sookie try to navigate a new life together. It is filled with twists and turns. What lies in the future?
Relationships: Godric/Eric Northman/Sookie Stackhouse
Comments: 16
Kudos: 133





	1. Like Dragonflies

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts with the events in Dallas and moves from there. Be prepared because not everyone is as they seem in this story. It is a Godric/Sookie/Eric story with a lot of hate on Bill. After all, who really likes that slimy no good weasel? I sure don’t.

For every action someone somewhere is going to have a reaction. It may or may not be a pleasant reaction, but it's a reaction nonetheless. So many ideas run rampant in the world. The very idea that there are people out there who expect the world to bend around them. Who, without any thought or action, do whatever it is they feel like doing. Then others are merely trying to get by with the way things are.

Sookie Stackhouse had always been one of those people. Up until a few weeks ago, when she had met her first but not her last vampire, Bill Compton, she had been merely content with getting by and dealing with her curse. Now she was dealing with so much more. So many events that no one wanted to understand and it was making her question things.

From the moment that Sookie started having Bill's blood, she'd had questions. Yet he would never answer them. Always telling her it was vampire politics and that she didn't need to know. Something inside of her was burning with regret and a little sense of nausea at the very thought of finding out why he was so reluctant to answer her questions. Was it really that much of a burden to take a few moments and answer her?

From the very moment that they had arrived in Dallas, the blonde telepathic human had known that something terrible was going to happen she just didn't quite know what it was. Call it a feeling of some sort of side effect to her curse. It didn't always happen, but lately, Sookie had been getting far more bad feelings than good. Each time it had something to do with Bill Compton, and now she was in Dallas, and things were odd because of him.

He hadn't come for her when she had been trapped in the basement of the Fellowship of the Sun. No, he'd been busy doing who knows what when she'd been almost raped. On the one hand, Sookie had no idea exactly why Godric had felt the need to save her. She was just a human, after all. One sent by Eric, yes, but a human nonetheless, and they had done this to him. They trapped him in silver and didn't bother to feed him. Then they'd tried to silver Eric and kill her along with them.

It had taken both of the elder vampires to rescue her, and for that, she would be forever grateful. Bill had shown up, of course, with Stan and the others hellbent on destroying the humans. While his words had said one thing, Sookie could read his eyes. Bill's eyes contradicted what he was saying, and it was making her question everything she had thought she had known about the vampire that she had been dating.

Soft blue eyes stared out into the gardens that were attached to Godric's Dallas nest and they were filled with so much longing. Longing to finally understand what was going on in her life. It had only been a few hours since Sookie, Eric, and Godric had escaped the Fellowship of the Sun, and yet it felt almost as if it had been a lifetime ago. She'd been people watching, and vampire watching, since she had arrived with Jason in tow. With each passing second, Sookie could feel more questions rising up inside of her. Could it possibly be that she needed answers and only the two eldest vampires in the room could give them to her.

Her attention was drawn to the door when a woman dressed in a hideous red-orange dress entered. Everything about her screamed vampire but more than that. Sookie clearly got a 'bitch' vibe from the woman, and from the way it looked, there was no way to avoid a confrontation with the vampire. She only hoped that things would end in her favor, rather than in the vampires. She was, after all, only human.

Most vampires hadn't been as apparent about approaching her as this one was and when she heard the name Lorena, she almost cringed. Her gran would be disappointed if she didn't at least show some sort of manners.

“Hello there, I'm Lorena.”

“Nice to meet you, I'm Sookie.”

“Mmm. Yes. You're what all the fuss is about”

For a moment, Sookie sighed. She hated how everyone seemed to think that she was the reason that everything happened. There was a part of her that wondered if anyone out there didn't know about who or even what she was. Still, she wasn't going to let on just how much she didn't trust this vampire at the moment.

“Excuse me?”

“Aren't you a morsel”

“I'm sorry, but who are you?”

“Well. We have a mutual friend.”

“Bill?”

“That's right. Funny, he never mentioned me. I practically made him what he is today.”

The conversation was getting old, and Sookie honestly didn't want to deal with it anymore. She was trying very hard to tune out the vampire in front of her. What was with this woman trying to start a scene in the first place? Only stupid people did that. Granted, she should have been a little wiser in her choice of actions because her words seemed to piss the older vampire off just as much as the woman had her.

She wasn't so bold as to actually expect that she wasn't causing a scene. In hindsight, she should have known the proper etiquette in handling a situation like this, but she did not. Maybe it was a failure on Bill's part, maybe Eric's or perhaps her own because she had not bothered to actually find out. Up until this point Sookie had been happy to just deal with things her own way, but when Lorena's hand wrapped around her neck she learned quickly that her approach wasn't the best.

There was a moment where she actually wished for a quick death if nothing more than to end the embarrassment of her own presence creating such chaos in Godric's house. Just as she was sure that Lorena's fangs would be sunk deep into her neck, Sookie felt the vampire be lifted off of her.

Her eyes lost their focus for a moment before she realized what had happened. Godric and Eric had moved closer, and Godric was holding Lorena by the throat. Instead of turning and trying to find Bill in the scheme of things, Sookie looked over at Eric. Her eyes clearly bespoke of the shock still running through her veins as she moved closer towards the Viking. At this very moment, there were only two vampires that she felt safe around. One was standing there looking rather amused at the whole scene, the other had his hand wrapped around the neck of her attacker.

Doing something that she knew was probably completely crazy, Sookie didn't even fight it. When she was close enough to Eric, she threw herself into his body as if he would shield her from the situation. Maybe it was the comfort he could provide that she was seeking, she honestly didn't know. All she knew was that the moment his arms wrapped around her, she felt at ease. Despite the growl coming from Bill and the more than evident smirk on the face of the blonde. To her, at this moment, this felt right.

“Retract. Your. Fangs. Now.”

Godric's voice brought Sookie back to the situation at hand. She was half snuggled into Eric but had a clear enough view to watch the scene. Something inside of her was mildly amused at the turn of events, but she was not going to show it.

“I neither know nor care who you are but in this area, and certainly, in this nest, I am the authority. Do you understand?”

The lilting accent that decorated Godric's voice was doing strange things to Sookie. From the moment she'd met him and seen his interactions with the Viking, she'd wondered about his history. There were times when she could hear the accent in Eric's voice, mainly as he talked to Godric. It was almost as if time froze on the two, and the world around them simply faded away. His tone was soft and gentle but the power behind his words could not and would not be mistaken.

Sookie had absolutely no doubt that Godric was more than capable of backing up any threat he laid out with Eric not too far behind him to clean up the excess mess. What was it about these two ancient vampires that were drawing her in? Why had she chosen to seek comfort in them? She didn't know yet, but the quick flick from Godric's eyes to hers, and the slight tightening of Eric's arms around her signaled that they were both more than aware of exactly how she was feeling. Neither would complain at that very moment.

“Yes sheriff.”

“This human has proven herself to be a courageous and loyal friend to our kind and yet you treat her like a child does a dragonfly. Pulling off wings for sport. No wonder they hate us.”

“She provoked me”

For a moment, Sookie could hear everyone freeze. Was this Lorena really that stupid that she would try to question anything Godric said? Sookie might not be exceptionally well versed in the ways of vampire politics, but she was quite sure that Godric's word was law, not just because this was his house, or because he was the sheriff of the area but because he was the oldest thing in the room. Apparently stupid begat stupid because she was starting to see a lot of similarities between Bill and Lorena and how they acted.

She watched as Godric got even more in Lorena's face as if trying to talk to some misbehaved little child.

“And you provoke me. You disrupted the peace in my own home. I could snap you like a twig, but I haven't. Why is that?”

Was it mirth she heard in his voice as he spoke to the female vampire? Sookie was having a hard time trying to understand this ancient vampire. One moment she was sure that he would have ripped out Lorena's throat and now he seemed to be taunting her, almost goading her into saying something stupider.

“It's your choice.”

“Indeed it is. You're an old vampire, I can tell. You've had hundreds of years to better yourself, yet you haven't. You're still a savage, and I fear for all of us, humans and vampires if this behavior persists.”

When he turned to Bill, it was clear that Godric was studying the younger vampire before he ordered him to escort Lorena out of the nest. With the final parting words that he wanted Lorena out before dawn, it was clear that the conversation with Godric was over. Any move to challenge him would be handled swiftly and with much violence.

With Bill and Lorena leaving, the atmosphere in the nest seemed to shift some. The vampires and humans that had been standing around watching the scene fluttered back into their own space and conversations. Sookie was still standing there wrapped in Eric's embrace with Godric looking on.

She wanted so badly to say something, anything about the situation but she didn't, couldn't. What was there to say? Was she supposed to say thank you? Was she supposed to laugh and act like it was no big deal and move on?

Before anything could be said, the sound of the door opening again brought her attention to the room. They should have been paying more attention. She should have been paying more attention, but it was too late. When the man started to speak the only thing that Sookie could do was scream “Bomb!” and hope that enough of the vampires reacted.

Sookie had no idea if minutes or hours had passed before she had regained any semblance of being. Her ears were still ringing slightly from the blast, and she could barely breathe. Trying to move, Sookie realized that she had two heavy objects on her and gently reached out to see if she could remove them from her personage. When they didn't move, she found herself trying to figure out why.

When her eyes landed on the form of Godric over her and Eric over both of them, she frowned a moment. Struggling she was having a hard time dislodging the vampires, Sookie let out a groan. Apparently, the noise was loud enough that it drew the attention of Isobel and Stan who helped her move the two vampires.

With air being able to be sucked into her lungs, Sookie took a moment to try to think about the situation. She had been shielded by the two oldest vampires in the nest. They didn't have too. They could have easily let her be and saved themselves but by the aftermath of the shrapnel on both of them they had turned themselves towards the bomb and tried to shield her.

“Why aren't they moving? Why aren't they waking up?”

Slight panic was starting to fill her voice as she thought about them. They needed to move, needed to protect her, and they weren't, and it was all her fault.

“It's the silver. Just give it a few moments, it should work itself out.”

Sookie froze for a moment before she moved to the vampire closest to her. She could see Godric's wounds and could hear the sound of the sizzling of flesh as the silver tried to work itself out. Sookie was at a loss on what to do and for the first time actually went with her instincts.

Leaning forward she started trying to suck the silver out of Godric. Moving as quickly as she could, the woman spat out every bullet and piece of shrapnel that she could find. Getting the silver out was only the first step, he still would need blood to finish healing. They would deal with that when she had seen to Eric.

Turning to Eric, she repeated the same actions that she had for Godric. It should have bothered her that she was ingesting the blood of two vampires that were not Bill, but in her mind, she didn't even care. Both Eric and Godric had proven more trustworthy to her in the span of a few seconds than Bill had in the weeks they'd been together. This was not a feeling that she was used too and yet for her it only made sense to protect them and try to help them in the only way she could.

Feeling the two vampires near her rouse, Sookie spoke softly to them, hoping that no one would interrupt their moment.

“I know y'all need blood and you both aren't exactly in the right frame of mind to refuse. Please, take what you need to heal so we can get out of here.”

With that, she held her wrists out to both vampires. Godric on one side, Eric on the other. Human blood was the only thing that was going to heal them as they needed. True Blood would not do so.

Waiting with bated breath, Sookie had no idea if they would take her up on her offer. She should have thought about this before the offer but without knowing the rules of what she was getting involved in she didn't know if she was crossing any lines.

Casting her eyes between the two vampires, she could tell they were groggy, but it was as if they were communicating between the two, silently trying to come to terms with the situation. In one way, it was exactly what Eric wanted, a chance to get his blood into Sookie, and he'd done that, but now she was offering her blood to him. That alone was sign enough that Bill hadn't taught her what it meant to be a pet or to be claimed by a vampire.

Catching the eyes of his maker, he looked at the elder vampire, speaking through their bond. _We have much to discuss master, but please feed, and I will do the same. She is genuine in her offer, but she knows not what this will do. I'm afraid that Compton hasn't educated her in the ways of our kind like I thought he had. We must get out of here before more humans arrive._

With a slight nod from Godric through the bond, both vampires tried as gently as they could to drink as little as they could. They didn't want to hurt the precious human. The words that Godric had spoken to Lorena were once again proved right. She was a courageous and loyal friend to their kind and his nest.

With the first taste of her blood upon their tongues, both vampires let out small moans. Godric instantly recognized what made her blood sweet, but neither vampire was at risk of draining her dry. Instead, they both pulled away after only a few small mouthfuls. It was enough to kick-start their healing without weakling her too much.

When Godric had his head on his shoulders, he stood slowly and approached his second in the nest. With a murmured whisper from Isobel, he spoke, telling them to regroup to the Hotel Carmella. He would be joining Eric in his suite but before they could leave Bill Compton was suddenly back and in their way.

“What have you done, you stupid human? You are mine!”

Jerking her head towards the sound of Bill's voice, Sookie had a look of complete shock on her face.

“I saved the only two vampires who bothered to try to save me while I've been in Dallas. I'm not yours, Bill. I only said that at first because you told me that Eric would eat me if I didn't. Now if you'll excuse us, we are going to the hotel. I need to shower and change. It's been a long night.”

Sookie was not even shocked at the growl that seemed to come from Bill. Sookie had just publicly renounced his claim to her as if the two older vampires could do nothing to Bill about it. Sookie had learned a few small things, that as Bill's sheriff Eric could have forced him to hand her over at any point. Yet he hadn't. She knew that, but she wasn't going to dwell on it now.

Backing up a moment, Sookie realized that she had nowhere really to go. Her back hit a hard object, and she felt a breath ghost across her neck before placing a soft kiss behind her ear. The action was not lost on Godric or on Bill as Sookie tried to hide against Eric, as if he was going to protect her.

“I believe that was your cue to leave my makers Beel. Go back to the hotel. We will make sure Ms. Stackhouse and her brother return safe. Go.”

Bill resisted a moment but a simple raise of Godric's eyebrow had him turning on his heel and leaving.

Sookie took a heavy breath as her body relaxed some with Compton gone.

“Come Little One, let's get going. We have much to discuss tonight.”

Taking Sookie's hand, Godric zoomed them out of the house with Eric following. Taking off into the night with the human clutched too him, Godric had no qualms about flying and knew that Eric would join him.

The hotel would be their safe rendezvous for the moment. At least until they could talk. There would be repercussions for the bombing in his nest, and his capture by the Fellowship. Godric knew this much, but any thoughts on how he had been going to handle it had fled his mind the moment Sookie's blood had touched his lips.

No, there was something about this woman that he wouldn't leave. Not if her reaction to him was just as strong as she's to Eric. First, he needed to make sure that if he did anything with Sookie, it would be with her and Eric. There was a bond between the three of them, a fledgling one, but he could feel it. He wanted to have a chance to know this woman, and in doing so he would find out what was going in Eric's area and more about who this Compton was.

It was rare for a telepath to be found, let alone one that tasted of Fae blood. They must be meticulous. Godric got the sense that she had no idea about her heritage. It was just one of the many conversations that they would need to have. He doubted they had enough time left in the night to discuss everything.


	2. Chief Enforcer

The trio were silent as they fled Godric's Dallas nest and headed towards the Hotel Carmella. Each lost in their own thoughts about the events of the evening. With as much wreckage as there was left at the house, there would be no way to prevent the Authority or the AVL from finding out. They could only hope that they could simply minimize the damage. It would be hard, especially if Nan Flanagan was the one to show up.

Both vampires landed outside the hotel gently, making sure not to jostle their companion. Sookie was in absolute shock at the turn of events. For one, she had never seen this much carnage and violence outside of television. Sure she'd seen it on the news and in action movies but not in real life. Not like this. It was a shock to her system for sure.

Entering the hotel, the two vampires and one telepathic human-made their way through the lobby and over to the elevators. Sookie's shields were shot, and it was hard for her to keep out the voices. The knowledge of that made her wince in pain and stumble a moment. It was slight, unnoticeable by the humans, but both of the older vampires saw. Each wondering exactly what was going on with the tiny blonde.

Riding the elevator up to the floor that Eric had reserved for them all three continued to remain outwardly silent. The same could not be said for the two vampires. They were using their bond to communicate with each other, and both were concerned about what was to come. Godric, while he had thought about ending his existence, had found a new reason to stay. There was just something about the tiny woman that was clinging to both of their hands that made him long to live.

_Eric, do you know what it is that troubles our telepathic friend?_

_I believe I do, master. She's lived a sheltered life from what I can tell. I doubt she's used to so much violence and hatred._

_It is my fault that she was exposed to so much. I worry about the vampire that tried to claim her back at the nest. We must talk about him, and I doubt for a moment that it will be comfortable for her._

_That vampire, Beehl Compton, is a disgrace. I've mentioned him before, Godric. He's the reason I have Pam. He cannot be trusted. Not since I'm still quite sure he's on the Queen's payroll. Sookie's not going to like talking about her former boyfriend. If we must, be gentle with her._

_You care for her. I can sense it. We will be gentle with her. I fear she knows nothing of our world, and it will come as a shock to her. Nan will be here more than likely later tonight to deal with the nest. We must be prepared._

Eric didn't respond verbally, but he did send his acknowledgment through the bond. They were at the door to his suite, and he wasn't sure what to do. Sharing with Godric was never a problem, but they had Sookie. He doubted she'd want to stay with them at all. They had much to discuss, but all of her things were with Bill.

"Can we go to my room and get my things? I don't feel like leaving them there with Bill still here. If I go by myself, I have no idea what he might do."

"Sure Little One, just point the direction. Eric and I will go with you. For protection."

Eric just smirked down at Sookie and lead them to the room she had been staying in, the one directly across from his own. Allowing Sookie to use her key to enter, Godric held her back for a moment once the door was open. He could smell blood and other odors that should not be coming from a hotel room.

"Something isn't right. Let us have a look, and you stay out here in the hallway? You should be safe. If not, take this and go into Eric's room right across the hall. Wait for us there. You will be safe in that room."

Looking up at Godric, Sookie frowned a moment. How could something not be right in the hotel room? She was just in the place last night and part of this morning getting ready to infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun. Something told her it was best not to argue, so she stood out in the hall. She didn't want to be too far away from either vampire. Not since she had ingested their blood. Her mind was demanding that she find out what it meant and why it felt different with them than it had with Bill.

Inside the room, both vampires growled. They could not let Sookie see the damage that had been wrought. From the smell, it was clear that more than just vampires fighting in here had happened. Compton and Lorena's scent were everywhere. The smell of blood and sex hanging in the air, and it wasn't the smell of Compton and Sookie.

They could see Sookie's things still in her bag that she had brought from the airport. The bag was in tatters, but the items inside looked mostly intact. Eric zoomed over to the suitcase and snatched it up. He also smelled human blood, and he froze. Turning to look at the room, Eric didn't need to speak. Godric had smelled it also.

As Eric was grabbing Sookie's bag, Godric had noticed the smell of human blood and waste. Moving through the room, he pushed the half-open door to the bathroom fully open. If he had been human, he was sure he would have gasped in shock; instead he simply allowed his anger to take a firmer hold on him. There inside the bathroom were four human blood donors. All of them were blonde with ample cleavage. Thankfully, he could hear heartbeats for them even if they were feint. Godric wouldn't give them his blood, not that they didn't need to be looked after, but right now, the only human he wanted having his blood was out in the hallway.

Quickly assessing that the humans were alive, if barely. Godric called down to the front desk. He had been made aware of Eric's deal with Sookie. What Bill didn't know was that the moment that Sookie had agreed to go to the fellowship and the moment that Bill refused to go after her and entertain Lorena was the moment that Eric had the room transferred under the other vampire's responsibility. They needed to asses when the damage was done, because if it was after that point, then it was all on Bill to pay.

Eric might be an ass, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that bringing Bill on this trip would end up biting him in the ass, but it was the only way he could get Sookie's help. He would have done anything to rescue his maker.

"I do not think we will find anything else of value in here, Eric. Let us get back to our room and get things settled. We have barely a few hours before dawn, and I would like to rest."

"Yes Master."

With that, both vampires left the room and ushered Sookie into their suite. Eric could already sense the confusion and tension building in the blonde. Having her blood made him feel giddy like a schoolboy. It was exhilarating to finally be able to detect the emotions of the one woman that had fascinated him since she'd stepped through the doors of Fangtasia wearing that white and red sundress.

Inside what was now Eric and Godric's room, Sookie took a seat on the couch in the common area as she waited for the vampires. It was clear that they wanted to talk, and she was trying to do as her gran had taught her. Reserve judgment until the very end. Lately, she'd been jumping to all sorts of conclusions and then afterward had always felt bad about it. It wasn't like her. Sure there were times when she was impulsive and reactionary, but mostly she had been raised to think before she acted. Bill was what changed everything.

"Your bag isn't in perfect shape. I don't remember it looking like that when you came off the plane, but everything does look alright inside of it. We do not have much time tonight to discuss all that needs to be said. There is a meeting with Nan Flanagan, the AVL representative soon. She'll expect you there as you are here under contract with me. However, you do have time to change if you wish too."

Pausing a moment, Eric wasn't even sure what else to say. She couldn't go back to the room she had been staying in, that much was quite clear. Yet would she be willing to stay here? It was no secret that Eric had made it known exactly what he thought about Sookie. Having her stay here was not a chance for him to get into her pants, as much as it was for her own safety.

"Little One, you cannot go back to the room you had with Bill. It's going to be hard to hear this, but you must know, and we must find out. Were you aware that Bill had four young women, blood donors who shared similarities with you, drained nearly dry and severely injured in the bathroom? The whole room smells like blood and sex, but none of it with you. There was also extensive damage to the room itself. If these things happened with you there, Eric is responsible for the bill. If not, then Bill will be. In truth, we just need to know if this would have happened before or after you were in the church."

Sookie bit her lip a moment. The very fact that Bill had trashed the room took her back. She hadn't thought that he could have done something so childish. Every moment that she spent away from Bill was another moment that things were starting to be clear in her head.

"It would have to have been after. He wouldn't have dared to try that with me around, knowing that I would have told Eric about it. Or at least tried to force him to tell Eric about it. That kind of behavior is childish and irresponsible. That much, I do know."

Eric couldn't fight the smirk. Bill had done all that damage while Sookie was not his companion. It didn't matter that they shared the room. By the terms of their agreement, she had to be by his side to remain his companion, and he had allowed her to leave his side. That meant that the moment she had gone to the church their deal had changed.

Before the conversation could go much further, there was a knock at the door. Godric stood and answered it, ushering Isobel in.

"Nan is here. She's requesting our presence in the large conference room as soon as possible. We should go."

With a nod, Godric motioned for the two other occupants of the room to stand up and join him. When he felt Sookie's hand in his Godric gently pulled her from the couch, knowing that Eric would follow. The conference room they were going too was only two floors above theirs which made the ride up quick.

Sookie was nervous. She'd never met this Nan, and from what she could see on the television, the woman looked like an absolutely horrible person. She was trying to reserve her judgment for the meeting though.

Inside the conference room, the two elder vampires took a seat on the same side of the table as each other with Sookie in between them both. Eric gripped her hand gently under the table, squeezing softly to send her reassurance. They were bonded lightly, and he could feel her emotions, but he doubted that Sookie knew how to search for his or Godric's. They would teach her, but he was trying to send her calm through their small fledgling bond.

Nan was seated at the head of the table, and Bill was glowering at them from the other side. The fact that he had gotten there first was not lost on the vampires. Something was up with him, specifically with the way he was looking at Sookie. Godric and Eric would protect her at all costs. Bill would never get ahold of her if they could prevent it.

The start of the meeting didn't take long with Nan jumping right into things. Of course, she was looking for someone to blame, and Godric seemed like an easy scapegoat. She had asked out loud what she should do with him, the question rhetorical, but Bill was too stupid to realize that. He tried to lobby Nan for harsh punishment. All that had done was spark a debate between Nan and Bill over Sookie.

As the arguments wore on, Sookie found herself getting restless. She needed to be doing something, and sitting here watching two vampires fight over here was not really what she had in mind. The longer they argued the closer to dawn it would become.

Finally, after nearly a half-hour of arguing, a decision was rendered. Nan thought she had the kind of power she was currently trying to wield as she stripped Godric of his power as sheriff. However, before much more could be said the conference room doors burst open.

All eyes turned to the visitor that had interrupted him, and the room grew tense. It was rare that someone such as the vampire in front of them made an appearance. However, this called for his attention, and he was going to make sure they all knew.

"Tsk. Tsk. We ask you to come here and assess the situation in Dallas, Nan, and we find you trying to wield power you do not possess. No one but the Authority can strip a vampire of their title, and we do not authorize you stripping Godric of his sheriff title. "

Turning to Godric, the vampire looked at him for a moment as if contemplating what he was going to say. He could clearly see the tense form of Eric, the Viking, and the human between them. They were trying to protect and comfort Godric in their own way. _Hmm. Appears I am just in time. She was right. This must be done, or I fear we will lose a powerful ally in the days to come._

"Godric of Gaul. As the Guardian of the One True Authority, I am here to offer you a promotion of sorts. No longer will you have to be a lowly sheriff answering to a Queen or King. I am here to offer you the chance to become Chief Enforcer and the vampire representative for the Council. Neither requires you to leave wherever you call home for any significant amount of time. You will have to come and make a few reports twice a year, but you will be free to go anywhere. No borders, no fealty, no tributes. You will only report to me. Directly to myself and you may name any other two that you wish to have the direct protection of the Council. You will have full power to enact the final death upon anyone that you feel needs it, given the circumstances. As you are a wise vampire, we trust and defer to your judgment. Unlike others in this room. Those you choose to be protected by us will be done so immediately, and all attempts to harm them in any way will be met with the swift action of True Death. No questions. No second chances. So what do you say?"

Roman knew that he had just thrown everyone in the room for a loop, but he wanted them to understand. Godric was the most influential person in the room. Even more powerful than himself. No one knows how he managed to kill his maker at such a young age, but they clearly remember why he was named Death. It's that knowledge that should make any vampire wary of crossing him.

As he waited for a reply, Roman had a good idea of the two that Godric would be asking for protection for. One he was already planning to announce. She had told him that the human would be the key to everything. He had already sent out spies into the court of Louisiana to see what was stirring. Sophie Anne would either have nothing to hide or Louisiana would need a new regent.

All eyes were on Godric as they waited for his answer. He understood the situation that he was now facing. This was not something to consider lightly. He was basically being given cart blanche to do whatever he wanted to do, wherever he chose to do it, and he would have the full backing of the Authority. If his gut feeling that things with Eric's monarch and Sookie were to go by, he would need it. He could feel Eric sending him caution but acceptance through the bond and confusion from Sookie. They would have to explain to her later what was going on.

"I accept, Guardian and I name my two protected. My Child Eric, and our mate, Sookie Stackhouse. There are those in this very room that feel they have rights upon the human. However, you know as well as I do the laws against trying to harm one's mate."

"We accept your conditions Godric of Gaul. Welcome to the Authority. Sookie Stackhouse is now under the direct protection of the Guardian and the Authority. Let it be known that anyone with any designs upon her will meet the True Death. No questions, no second chances. Nan. You're done here. One more stunt and you will be replaced as the representative with the media. Do not try me. Eric. You are under the protection of the Authority as well, and as such, you are no longer subject to follow your Queen's rule. We will be in touch soon to discuss things in your area. Miss Stackhouse, there is much you must learn. Even I can sense your confusion now and smell the vampire blood in you. Ask your questions of the Norseman and the Gaul. They will not lie to you. If you ever need me, they know how to get in touch with me. You will find that you will be able to as well. I must be off. Godric, as of now, you are our Chief Enforcer. Expect a call within the next couple of days with further information on your duties."

As quickly as the man entered, he was gone. Everyone in the room was quiet a moment before Nan chose to speak again.

"Godric, as you are no longer sheriff, you must name your successor. You do not need to sign any paperwork. It will be handled for you. The bombing of your nest here will be dealt with as well."

Eric was in shock at the sudden change in Nan. She was petrified. Any vampire worth their salt should understand that Godric had a clear passage to kill them for any reason. It wasn't hard to find reasons to kill Nan.

"Surely. I name Isobel as my replacement. She has been a good second and will be fine for the role."

"Isobel, come to my suites and sign some papers. You are free to go. Compton. I would make sure that you fully understand what is happening. You no longer have any claim to that human. She is not _yours_ she is their mate. As such, they can kill you if you hurt her. Everyone is dismissed."

Sookie hadn't said a single word since the entire event went down. She was honestly in shock. She had no idea who this guardian person was, but he must be important if they were all showing him such deference and respect. He had said that she had much to learn and that she should trust Eric and Godric. She already did, but she was afraid to ask her questions. Bill had always told her it was vampire business.

With a soft yawn, the human-triggered the movement of the vampires. Godric scooped her up into his arms and sped off to the room he was sharing with Eric, his child behind him. Dawn was approaching, and they would need their rest.

Safely inside their hotel room, Sookie quickly changed into a loose pair of pajama pants and stole one of Eric's tanks before crawling into the bed between Eric and Godric, who was already being pulled into their day death. It was with their arms wrapped around her that she finally felt safe enough to sleep since the ordeal at the church. Safe but so very confused.


	3. Utter Shock

It had been far too long since Sookie had actually had a beautiful night's sleep. Maybe it was the combination of the bed in the hotel, its softness, and the fact that she felt safe with the two vampires wrapped around her in a way that she had never handled with Bill. Whatever it was, the blonde was not going to look at the situation as anything but good.

Normally she was sure that she would dream, but Sookie had been so exhausted that she hadn't even had any dreams. Nothing but blackness in her mind as her exhausted body tried to catch up with the shocks of the day. It was amazing what the human body could handle as far as shock and what it did. Sookie remembered the dreams she had of Bill after she'd had his blood, but she wondered if it was supposed to be the same for any vampires. Maybe they weren't trying to force the dreams upon her. So many questions.

"We know you're awake Little One. Why don't you shower and get dressed and meet us in the other room? We'll order you something to eat. We have much to discuss."

Sookie opened her eyes and looked at the two vampires standing at the side of the bed. Both were up all ready and dressed and smiling down at her. Not the typical smirk that Eric had but a genuine smile that meant more to her than anyone would know. Unbeknownst to her, they could actually feel what she was feeling.

Smiling at the two, she bit her lip in a nervous gesture as she moved to get out of bed. Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was well past dark, and she'd slept all day. There was a time when she would have been worried but given everything she'd gone through it was about time her body shut down and allowed her a chance to sleep.

Nodding to the vampires, Sooke grabbed her bag and headed into the bathroom. Showering sounded great. The shower in the hotel was bliss. It was something that she didn't get at home. Perhaps that was why she was taking much longer than usual.

When she was clean and dressed, Sookie pulled her hair back in a high ponytail and exited the bathroom. Mostly all she had to wear were sundresses. It wasn't that she couldn't wear shorts or pants, her preferred dress was the sundress though.

Entering the main room, Sookie saw Godric and Eric both sitting on the couch. There was a cart full of food, and she happily started to dig through it before she took a seat in the chair opposite the vampires. In one way, she should be freaking out over what was going on. Fighting the situation was not going to make it easier to understand. Already, Sookie felt like how she used to be before she met Bill that first time.

"There are many things that you must know about our world, Sookie. You've taken blood from three vampires now and given your blood to at least two of us. Did Bill explain what that meant? What taking the blood would do to you? It's obvious you've had his blood though I don't know why."

Sookie braced herself for the conversation. Keeping secrets now would not be good. If she was to get answers, she would need to be honest with them as well. It was a two-way street. That much her grams had taught her.

"Just start at the beginning Little One. Tell us what happened with Bill and how you managed to get his blood in you and then tell us what he taught you. No one here is mad at you. We might be mad at Compton for his lack of respect towards you, but we are not mad at you. If we do not know where you lack information, we cannot correct it and protect you. We will talk about the Guardian once we know more about your current situation."

Nerves were still getting the better of her but not too much. "I have to admit that I've always had a fascination with vampires. More Anne Rice than Twilight, trust me on that one. So when Bill first entered Merlotte's, I was happy. I hadn't expected to actually see a vampire. Not in that tiny little town. Maybe Shreveport where the vampire bar was but not on Bon Temps. I knew what he was the moment that he entered. Y'all kind of glow, you know?"

Both vampires tensed a moment at her saying that they glowed, but for Godric, it confirmed his thoughts on what she was. He doubted that she even knew of her true heritage. If she had, he didn't think that Sookie would be so willing to be around vampires. It was common knowledge that Fae blood was highly addictive to vampires, and most were drained. It was partly why there had been a war between the vampires and fae for so long.

"That first night that Bill came in some drainers attacked him. Everyone knew that the Rattray's were trash, and I couldn't understand why Bill would want to associate with people like that. I ended up saving him and in the process, revealing my curse. The next night he was supposed to meet me after work to escort me home, but he was late. I should have been paying attention, but I did not hear any mental voices until it was too late. The Rattray's attacked me for stopping them from draining Bill. Beat me so bad that Bill had to give me his blood to survive."

Sookie stopped talking at that moment because she heard the rather loud growls rip through both vampires in the room. It was a sound enough to make her shrink back into her chair. Had she done something wrong?

"Little One, we are not mad at you. What you have said is tantamount to instant True Death. From the very description of your actions, you were trying to save him, but he set you up. One of Bill's talents, one that you are immune too, is a powerful glamour. For the Rattray's to have been as intense about draining him as they were, he had to have used his glamour them. He was testing you. You couldn't have known Sookie. The Rattray's were under heavy glamour to attack you. That is the only way you would not have heard their thoughts. We cannot prove it yet, but given his job, within our world, we think this was an act of his to try to bind you to him."

Sookie sat there a moment. She needed to hear this. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that her entire meeting of Bill was forced. It was all in the cards, to begin with. Why? What was it about her that would force a vampire to do this?

"There is more to the story. While I have no idea why Bill would want his blood in me, after that happened, we became close. I had these dreams about him and stuff. It was hard to fight. There was this fangbanger killer that was running around. He was targeting women who had dalliances with vampires. It's what brought me to Fangtasia. Bill had agreed to go with me for protection, but I didn't like how he acted around Eric. If I had known at the time that Eric was the one in charge, I would have stopped him. I think I had given away what I was to Eric when I warned him of the Police raid. Then there's the whole thing with the killer back in Bon Temps murdering my grams and my cat, then they attacked me. Bill told me that Eric would just use and hurt me and that I could only trust him. Yet I didn't know if Eric was looking into the killer situation."

"I was, but Bill had told me it had been resolved. That was three days before your grandmother's murder. I am sorry, Sookie. If I had known, I would have been there. You should not have to have gone through such a loss. The killer is dead, yes?"

"Yes. I had Bill's blood in my system and was able to fight him. I killed him."

"It was you or him, and we are glad you chose you. Do not think bad about it. You did what you must. Now tell us, Little One, what did Bill tell you about the blood you had in you by that time."

Sookie ate some of her food for a moment as she thought. She remembered the conversation because it had been only a few weeks since. This was not a conversation that she honestly wanted to have. One thing that Gran had always taught her was to try to find out as much as she could before passing judgment. It was why she was sort of kicking herself right now.

"When I first rescued Bill, he was trying to expound on the benefits of his blood. He tried to get it in me then, but I refused. He told me that it would make me healthy. Since I am in almost perfect health, I don't need it. He also said that it would make my libido stronger. I was a virgin at the time and, of course, refused that too. He ended up getting my virginity. I can't really understand it. I felt like I was called. It wasn't terrific. He's so _tiny_ , and I had no idea what I was doing. He found out about my uncle afterward and killed him."

Godric and Eric both moved as one as they picked Sookie up and settled her between them. This conversation was becoming challenging to handle, and they wanted to comfort her in any way that they could.

Sookie allowed herself to curl up into Godric's frame as they were pulled into Eric's. The comfort of these two vampires was helping her calm. For a moment she wondered if the emotions she was sensing were her own or was she being influenced.

"That's all he told me about the blood."

"Sookie. Why did Bill kill your uncle? The man was human, and it's a crime to just kill them. As your sheriff, I could have enacted a sentence for him for hurting you, as you work for me, and you are under my protection."

Gently, Eric placed his hand on Sookie's chin and moved her head up so that he could look into her eyes. Crystal blue met soft blue as he stared into her eyes. There was nothing that she could say that would get him angry at her. It was his right as the sheriff of the area to enact vengeance, and he could hold Bill accountable again. That vampire needed to have his life ended.

"Growing up, I heard everyone's thoughts. I didn't have any filters or shields, not like I do now. My gran, she helped me build them. My uncle, he would think about all the sexual things he wanted to do to me. It was hard. I told my gran about it, and she ran him off."

Rubbing her back, Eric swore that he would protect her. He would need to dig into the death of her uncle. If he could prove that Bill had done so without his knowledge or authorization he could do something about it.

"Worry not about it, my dear Sookie. He is gone, and we will move on from it. It saddens me that Bill educated you so little on the ways of being a vampire. Most pets know more than you do. Yes, the blood heals you, and yes, it can increase your libido, but it also makes you dream of the vampire. They can influence your emotions. Send you calm or anger. Think. Was there ever a time since Bill drowned you in his blood that you felt as if you were acting contrary to what you normally would?"

"Yes. When I first was at Fangtasia and saw Eric. I was instantly taken with him. Then a few moments later, all I felt was disgust and hatred for someone I had never met. I always pride myself on getting to know someone first before I make a judgment, and I had instantly hated Eric. Godric? Had Bill forced me to feel his feelings?"

"I believe so Little One. As you've had both Eric and my blood, we can do the same, but we haven't. Not really. I sent you calm in the meeting with Nan because you were getting restless. If you allow, I would like to send you an emotion now to see if you can detect it. It would be beneficial for you if you can discern when we are sending you versus what you are actually feeling."

"Sure."

There was apparent resignation in her voice. She understood that this needed to happen, but it didn't mean that she was happy about it. Suddenly she felt a soft caress of an emotion. It took her a moment to puzzle out the exact sentiment. Were they adoration and lust? Turning her head, she stared at Eric as she focused on the desire that was coming from him and the devotion coming from Godric.

It was enough to tell her that she had been played the fool by Bill.

"I feel that, both of it."

Running a hand across her face, Sookie sighed. She was still in Godric's lap and Eric's, and she always felt safe despite it all. She had another question, however, that she was curious about.

"What did you mean when you sad I was the mate to both of you?"

"Caught that did you?"

Eric sighed and wondered how they would get this handled. He had felt the call to her the moment that he had seen her at Fangtasia. It wasn't hard. He just wondered when Godric had felt the same. He had only been able to be around Sookie in the basement at the church. It was enough, though. Vampires just knew who their other half was. If it had been any other vampire, he would have fought and probably killed them. Godric, he would share.

_Relax my child. I will explain it to her. You must explain the duplicity of this Compton. Then we must prepare to leave. If we can leave Dallas before he can, we may be able to mitigate some of the damage done upon our return. Something is not right for all of this to happen. She has fae in her. I don't think we are quite ready for that conversation. Perhaps I can see if we can get communication to Niall first?  
_

_Yes master. I think that works. We must get back and see what is going on. I do not trust Compton._

The entire exchange between the vampires was done silently to not alarm Sookie. They were waiting for her to explode or something. What they didn't realize was that with the addition of their blood into her system, they were countering the effects of Bill's. Slowly, and with more blood, they would be able to eradicate his hold upon her.

"What it means, Little One is a lot of things. First of all. There are things about the blood that you should know. To us, older vampires, the blood is considered sacred. We do not have pets or blood slaves, as some of the younger ones do. We do not willingly share our blood unless we think that the person is worth it. When Eric offered to heal you from that creature attack, it was because he felt that you were worthy, not only that, but he was old enough it would have taken far less than what Bill had to give you. Simply drinking our blood, since we are still physically here, would allow us to sense your emotions. The more blood, the better the chance. We already told you that it can be used to influence your emotions; however, if you were to enter a blood bond with us, you would be able to feel ours."

"What's a blood bond?"

"There are two kinds. There is the kind that a vampire often evokes for a blood slave, it's minimal at best. You would be a Renfield for lack of a better term. That is what we fear Bill might have been trying to accomplish. The blood bond that I would like you to have with Eric, you've already started with us. It requires you to willingly drink our blood while we drink from yours or shortly after you've drunk from us. If we do this three times, you will be bound to us. We would be able to feel each other's emotions, to communicate on a deeper level, and we would always know if you were in danger. By bonding with us, it is a greater level of protection. You already have direct protection from the Authority, but there are still vampires stupid enough to challenge it. If you are bonded to us you would smell like us, it would be clear who you belonged too. It is my desire to bond you to us because you are our mate, our other half. Without you, we have no sense of purpose. Please consider this. It does not have to be done tonight, but the sooner we finish the bond, the safer we all will be."

Running a hand through her hair, Sookie sighed. Climbing out of Godric's lap, she started to pace. There was so much to think about. Her emotions were a whirr as she tried to process everything. It all started with Bill and ended with the explosion at the nest in Dallas. Now she was here in the hotel room with Eric and Godric. Both had declared that she was their mate. She still didn't know what it meant to be a mate, but they were treating her far better than Bill had, and all they had done was hold her. Godric had gotten some promotion that she didn't understand. It was all starting to become too much.

Sensing the distress from Sookie, Godric stood and pulled her into his arms. He didn't ask, he simply captured her lips with his as he held her gently. If that wasn't a sign that she was his mate, he had no idea what was. Feeling Sookie relax into his embrace, Godric opened bonds and summoned Eric over.

Sookie was confused. The kiss was unexpected but not unwelcome. From the moment that Godric's lips touched hers, she felt like her whole body was on fire. When the second pair of lips started ghosting behind her ear, she almost melted on the spot. While she may no longer be a virgin, she was still very new to the idea of sex. Surrounding Sookie were two virile males who had centuries of experience and she doubted that she'd be left wanting.

Both vampires worked her slowly with gentle caresses and kisses. Neither was going to push this farther, but they could smell her arousal in the air with each passing moment. It only forced them to redouble their efforts. Eric held her hips firm against as he pulled her back against his front, Godric was playing with her breasts every so slightly, not enough to be considered anything too sexual but enough that they were enjoying the reactions from their little mate. They would be remiss if they left her in this state, however, and worked to remedy that. When both vampires bit down gently with their blunt human teeth, they felt Sookie take the plunge over that edge. Her release scent into the air.

Releasing Sookie's lips, making sure they were swollen from his passionate kiss, Godric spoke. The accent thicker and filled with emotion. "That is what it means to be our mate. It means that your pleasure is our pleasure, and ours is yours. We will not fuck and feed on the fangbangers. We would hope that you would nourish us as we both need very little due to our age. However, that is for another time. It also means that you are our other halves. Mine and Eric's. We will share you with no one but each other. We will take things slow, Little One. You are unused to attention like the kind we wish to lay upon you."

Sookie was aroused and unnerved. It wasn't that she was unused to being aroused; it was the fact that they had made her cum from only kisses and caresses. This couldn't be natural, could it? When Bill had tried to get her aroused without his blood, it had taken forever, and he had grown angry at her. Maybe it was the blood. It would take a few days to not affect her so, and she'd only just had it the night before.

Blushing at her actions, Sookie tried to pull away to hide.

"Don't be embarrassed, _min kärlek. That was beautiful."_

Turning her head slightly to look at Eric, Sookie was unsure of his words. He'd always leered at her, but she had grown used to that. It was just the way he seemed to be around her, yet the look he was giving her now was not the same. It was open and genuine in what he said. Whatever language it was that he was speaking into her, was beautiful.

"If you'll excuse me." Sookie said as she rushed away from the two vampires. Running into the bathroom, she locked the door as she stood against it. Breathing hard and trying to calm her racing nerves, the telepath was at a loss. That had been amazing, but she wasn't that kind of woman. She couldn't just let them do that to her. No, she would put a stop to it until she understood their intentions. Taking a few moments to clean herself up, Sookie was also trying to focus her mind.

Godric and Eric watched as Sookie fled. Both could tell that this was new to her. The blood made things a bit more sensitive, but they would slowly get her to understand that she was theirs. They would show her what real love was like, both physical and emotional.

"Min son, tror jag att vi har skrämt vår lilla telepat. Vi har fortfarande mycket att vi måste diskutera. Jag vet inte vad som kommer att hända om vi vänta längre för att informera henne om dubbelspel av denna Compton. Han kommer att försöka vända henne från oss om vi inte gör det." (My son, I believe we have startled our little telepath. We still have much that we must discuss. I do not know what will happen if we wait any longer to inform her of the duplicity of this Compton. He will try to turn her from us if we do not.)

"Ja far, kommer vi berätta för henne när hon återvänder. Sookie har gått igenom mycket redan. Jag vill inte detta på henne, även om hon är vår kompis." (Yes father, we will tell her when she returns. Sookie has been through much already. I do not wish this upon her, even if she is our mate. )

Both vampires heads snapped in the direction of the soft padding footsteps that were approaching. Sookie looked much more relaxed now, and they both gently probed their bond. They felt a mixture of resignation and contentment.

"Sookie, we have a few more things to discuss, and then we can be on our way. We wish to return to your area before Bill and hope to negate a few things. We will arrive just barely after dawn and ask that you stay with us until we rise. We can then return to your homestead should you wish it of us."

Eric took Sookie's hand gently in his as he leads her to the couch. When she was settled, he sat down near her and started to talk. There was much for her to know.

"The vampire world has a system similar to yours in that we have chains of command of things. At the top is the Vampire Authority, and then we have the AVL or American Vampire League, which Nan is a part of, then you have the regents. The Queens and Kings of the states. All of the vampires in those states must swear fealty to their king or queen and pay a tax or a tribute to living there. Under the regents are the sheriffs. We are over specific areas. Godric was the sheriff of Area Nine Dallas. I'm the sheriff of Area Five, Louisiana. Each area encompasses several cities depending upon the size of the state. The man you met earlier was Roman Zimojic, he is the Guardian. He speaks for the Authority. There is only one person higher than he, and that would be the Ancient Pythoness, whom you may know from history as the Oracle of Delphi."

Pausing a moment to see if Sookie had gathered that Eric went on to further explain things. He told how the King of Texas was a decent vampire, although somewhat misguided at times. How his queen was nothing more than a spoiled little brat. Sophie Anne LeClerq was barely over five hundred and forever, acting like a fifteen-year-old. It was Eric and Sookie's state that was going to be the problem.

"Sophie Anne has a taste for the unique. Normally this would not be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that her tastes also included humans. Special Human collecting has been forbidden since we came out of the coffin. Up until he arrived in Bon Temps and then my bar, Bill Compton had been a procurer for Sophie Anne. Anything she wanted, he would get for her, no questions asked. She paid him very well for it. We don't know why he was in Bon Temps for certain, but Godric and I have a solid idea."

"Me? But why? No one outside of my family knew about my curse."

"We think it may have to do with Sophie Anne's newest pet. A Hadley Hale."

"Hadley is my cousin."

That was enough to have Eric pull Sookie into his arms and hold her close.

"They will never get a chance to hurt you again. We must go now if we are going to make the flight in time to get back to Shreveport. As it is, we will be cutting it close to dawn."

With that, they all stood up and gathered what things they needed. The two vampires had packed earlier while Sookie had been asleep. Godric slid Sookie's bag on his arm as both vampires took her hand and lead her from the hotel room, down through the lobby and out into the limo. Inside the limo they kept hold of her only letting go to help her get out and get aboard the Anubis Airliner that was taking them back to Shreveport.

Once aboard the plane, the two vampires settled beside Sookie, who dozed off to sleep for the trip. There was much still ahead of them. Things that they needed to work out. Neither vampire believed that Sophie Anne would let this go. There was also the fact that Compton was Sookie's neighbor. They would have to get her to rescind his invitation, but that could wait for a little while. At least until she woke up.


	4. A Queen and her Idiot

There were smart vampires and then there were Bill Compton and Sophie Anne LeClerq. Neither had a reputation for being exceedingly bright, lucky maybe, but bright? No. They both had done things that made most normal vampires, and humans ponder their sanity, and yet they were ones that people had to respect, or they faced wraths far worse than can be imagined.

Bill had been sent after Sookie for a particular reason and up until the trip to Dallas he had been succeeding, slowly but it was progressing. Once in Dallas, he had watched everything fall apart. Sookie should have been acting like a proper little pet, but instead, she was a rebellious woman who he would just have to bring to heel more firmly in the future.

Then the stupid bitch had gone and sucked the blood from both Eric and his fucking maker and let them drink from her. _What the hell was she thinking? Didn't she know by now that she should ask me before she even thinks about doing anything, including thinking?_ It was why when the ordeal with Nan had come about he had been sure that he would have won his case.

He'd dressed in one of his better outfits, trying to be superior to the Viking who dressed as casual as he wanted and Godric who never seemed to be in anything but linen. It would help that he was taking the meeting seriously, or so he hoped. He hadn't been able to get his hands on Sookie, but he was not in the least bit surprised when she showed up with Eric and Godric.

What had surprised him was the utter look of boredom on Sookie's face as all of the vampires, but Godric, Isobel, and Eric had spoken. It was as if she was drawn into their little web and unable to leave. He would have to look into how he could break that spell. She was his. If he didn't get her fully bonded to him, he couldn't fulfill his mission, and Sophie Anne would do far worse things to him than she did to her human blood slaves.

He had almost thought he was going to win his case with Nan, but then everything had changed. He knew that Nan wouldn't actually do anything to piss him off, but she was a bitch and still did things her way. So when it was rendered that Sookie had done nothing wrong, because he had failed to inform her of what she could and could not do around other vampires, he had been livid.

, Of course, the smug feeling that entered his mind when he heard her fire Godric had been there. Then everything went to shit.

Bill had sat stone still as he watched the Guardian for the Authority bust into the proceedings, scold Nan and drop a not so subtle hint in his direction. On top of that they offered the Gaul carte blanche to do whatever he felt like he needed to do.

**_THIS CAN NOT BE HAPPENING!_ **

Bill raged inside his head. He wasn't brave enough to try to say anything to the Guardian and risk his own True Death. No, he needed to figure out what was going on and then report it back to Sophie Anne. Maybe she could help him figure out how to get past this. He was a procurer for crying out loud. It was his job to bring back the people his Queen wanted. Lorena had agreed with him before he had to escort her out of the Dallas Nest. She had even offered to try to do what she could to help, also if she wasn't allowed back in Louisiana.

When Sookie was named one of Godric's protected and his mate the rage that Bill felt was insurmountable. They were lying, he just knew it. He didn't believe in mates and the nonsense that came with it. To him, this was simply a ploy by the two vampires to get one over on him. _If I ever get my hands on Sookie again, she is going to pay for embarrassing me like this._ In one way, Bill was actually glad that Sookie could not read vampire minds.

When Roman left, and Nan's tune changed Bill sighed and knew that this small battle he'd lost, for now. There was a war to fight over the telepathic barmaid from Bon Temps. He planned to win. All he had to do was to become King. Eric couldn't fight him then, not if he planned to.

It was with the image of Eric on bended knee swearing fealty to Bill while Sookie was sucking him off that had Compton smiling all the way back to his hotel room. Oh, yes, the possibilities were endless. There would be so many things he could do to both of them. He just needed to put up with Sophie Anne's shit a little longer. The spoiled brat of a queen would slip up, and she would be ended, he hoped it was by himself.

Bill entered the room that he had been staying at with Sookie, smiling at the damage. He was quite confident that Eric would be responsible for this bill. Oh, he had the money to pay for it, but why should he when he could use it to screw over the Viking. Making Eric pay recompense for everything he'd done with Sookie so far. He would not be made a fool of again.

Inside the destroyed room, Bill smirked again as he picked up the hotel phone. It was safer to call the Queen on that than it would be his own phone. At least that's what the wild side of him thought. There was something about the Hotel Carmella that Bill didn't know. In fact, it was safe to assume the only two people that knew the secret about the hotel were the Viking and the Gaul.

With the phone in his hand, Bill sat at one of the only upright chairs he had left in the room. He was waiting for the line to pick up. It was doubtful that Sophie Anne would actually answer himself, such an act was beneath her. So he was hardly surprised that Andre answered. Giving his terse instructions, he waited for Sophie Anne to answer the phone.

"What is it, Bill? Are you back in Louisiana?"

"No, your majesty. There's been a complication."

"What!? I send you after one measly human, and you keep talking about complications and problems."

Bill had no choice but to sit there and listen to the child vampire rant for minutes before he felt like he could tell her anything.

"My Queen. I assure you this was not my doing. As Nan was prepared to rid Dallas of its sheriff, we had an unexpected visitor. The Guardian burst in. The Authority has given the Gaul the title of Chief Enforcer. He owes fealty to none, not even to you if he chooses to live in our state. It is upon his decision who lives and who dies. If he feels you are hurting either one of his mates, he has the complete and full authority to rip you to pieces. He was also granted the boon of having any two people he chose under the direct protection of the Authority. If anyone does anything to them in any way, they will be met with True Death. No questions, no second chances. Sookie and Eric were named as his protected and his mates."

For the first time there was absolute silence on the other end of the phone. No screaming or temper tantrums. Just utter silence. It was strange and unnerving to Bill.

"This changes nothing. We simply must be more careful. I want the telepath. Get her to me now! If you get caught, you will die. Don't get caught. Whatever you do, do not let it trackback to me. I will end you if you do. Now get me the fucking telepath!"

The phone line went dead, and Bill sighed. This was going to be impossible. If he was supposed to secure Sookie for his queen, he was going to have to step up his game. He still had his blood in the human, and he could only hope that he could even influence her.

Moving to lay down on the bed, the thing that was spared from his destruction, Bill closed his eyes and concentrated. He was pushing emotions and feelings through the blood to Sookie. The ultimate goal was to scare the daylights out of her. Create fear and mistrust and make her come to him for comfort. It used to be easy. He could get her to show up whenever he felt like it, but something was fighting him.

Huffing and puffing to get in as much of his gift as possible, Bill was running out of time before dawn. If he didn't get this done before his day death, he wouldn't get another chance. Now was the perfect time to enact vengeance because he doubted that if they got back to Louisiana that he would have more opportunities. Sookie needed to be brought to the queen and quickly.

Finally giving into the day death, Bill slumped into his sleep and was gone. He would have to find out tomorrow night when he awoke if anything was successful. Only time would tell for sure.


	5. Dreamscapes

One of the things that seemed to stay with Sookie during her conversations with Godric and Eric was the fact that Bill had managed to manipulate her through his blood. She wondered, however, why he hadn't tried to do so now that she clearly belonged to the two older vampires.

It was these questions that stuck in her mind as the two vampires stared at her from across the aisle on the plane. Her emotions were erratic right now as she tried to come to terms with everything.

First Bill moves to town, then her grandmother dies, then she falls for a vampire that she would have never wanted too. Bill was not all that attractive, honestly. His fake southern accent bothered her as did the way he always managed to mispronounce his name. She hadn't understood the sudden drive she'd had after she'd lost her grandmother to sleep with Bill. She should have wanted only comfort.

The more she thought about it, the more that Sookie wondered if Bill was to blame for her grandmother's death. The fang banging killer wouldn't have targeted Adele if it hadn't been for Bill. As she was thinking about the events, Sookie suddenly had a question or an idea.

"Eric? Do you think Bill is the reason that my grandmother was murdered? I mean, the killer still would have had victims in Maudette and Dawn, but my grandmother wasn't a danger to anyone. She wasn't a fangbanger. She was just a sweet old lady who wanted to learn as much as she could about the civil war era and happened to make friends will Bill since he was from that time."

"It is quite certain. I doubt that Adele Stackhouse would have been a target any other way. Unfortunately, with the killer dead, we cannot find out if he was glamoured to attack your grandmother. It is a suspicion that I have held, but I said nothing because I did not want to hurt you. Bill Compton is a manipulative bastard, you know this by what you've already told us of your encounters with him."

"Little One, we cannot bring your grams back, but we can help you not feel so sad. Death is a natural part of life, and sometimes those we love are taken from us far too early. I promise you that I will do the best I can to protect the family you have left. I know that your brother is important to you, even if he doesn't seem all that smart."

Both vampires were surprised when Sookie stood from her seat and nestled herself within their embrace. From the moment she'd started down this path, she doubted that she'd get a chance to relax genuinely. Vampires lived a hectic life, and she understood this. She just also realized that they made her feel safer than anyone else did.

Sookie closed her eyes a moment as she thought about everything she'd learned.

"If Bill has his blood in me, shouldn't he be able to manipulate me still?"

"He would have, Little One if you were not the mate to myself and Eric. Our blood is old and powerful, but more than that, it is your mate's blood. Our blood is trying to fight it. However, if you want a better chance of not having any influence over you by Bill, then we must make the bond more permanent. Only after a final bonding with us will all of his blood be gone from your system. Bill will more than likely think that we have killed you. It must be done, however, if we are to thwart his influence over you. Let us not think about it just yet. We will be landing soon."

Both vampires knew that Sookie wanted to return to Bon Temps but they would not. Not with the maenad running around. No, they would take care of the danger first and then take their fairy hybrid to her home. For now, one of Eric's homes in Shreveport will be enough.

"Sookie. We can't take you back to Bon Temps yet. There's danger there that we need to take care of before we can let you return. I hope you understand. We cannot have you in danger, Sookie."

Turning her head to look at Eric, Sookie thought about what he was saying. They wanted to let her be someplace safe. Someplace that she could avoid the danger that she seemed to always find herself in.

"I agree. Since vampires have entered my life, my world has been far more dangerous. There is nothing for me in Bon Temps other than the house. That house has been in the Stackhouse family for generations, and I won't abandon it; however, if you feel we should be somewhere safe for a while, I will not argue. Gran would have my hide if she were alive and heard about it."

With her reactions to the vampires, Sookie felt two kisses on her cheeks, one on each side. At least, for now, they didn't have to worry about her being somewhere that Bill could nab her. If she was in a location protected by both Eric and Godric, they would be safe.

Godric and Eric watched Sookie for a moment as the plane started its downward descent. Pam wouldn't be waiting for them at the airport, it was too close to dawn. They needed her resting, not trying to come after them. No instead, Eric's dayman Bobby would be waiting for them as Eric and Godric climbed into their travel coffins to prepare. Sookie would need to go with Bobby, and he would show her where they were going to stay.

Watching as the two vampires that she was starting to care about, climb into travel coffins, Sookie felt a sudden pang in her chest. She wanted to be with them, but Eric and Godric couldn't fit into one coffin. At least not a normal one. Instead, she had to stay awake, had to stay poised for what was to come. She just hoped that there was no one here to try to kidnap her like in Dallas.

Climbing out of the plane as the coffins were carried off and into the truck, Sookie looked around. The person standing there waiting for them looked to be a middle-aged man. He had a kind smile on his face. "Miss Sookie. If you come with me, we'll get the three of you squared away at home. I took the liberty of stocking some food and human items in the home you're going too. If there's anything you'd like in the future, please let me know so that I can obtain it for you. It is no bother."

Bobby had gotten the impression that Miss Sookie was someone that didn't like it if someone else did things for her. While there was nothing wrong with doing things on your own, some people needed to learn to be taken care of. Smiling at the blonde, he showed her to their car as they proceeded to drive from the Shreveport Airport towards the outskirts of town. Eric had many safe houses across the country and the state. The particular one he had received a notification to make more human friendly. This one would be the most reliable of the lot, and it was one that the Queen and her lackeys didn't know about.

The drive honestly wasn't very long, but the silence in the vehicle bothered him. Bobby didn't quite know everything that Miss Sookie had gone through, but he wasn't going to pry. He barely knew her, but he did know that she was important to both Mr. Northman and his maker. It was the loyalty that would allow Bobby the unbiased look at the situation.

"Here we are miss. Let's get them inside. They will probably sleep in their coffins until the night rises. I'll get them settled if you want to follow me?"

Sookie wasn't saying anything. What was she supposed to say to the situation? Her life had drastically changed in the last few days, weeks even. The simple small-town life that Sookie had been living was now nothing more than a dream. She would never have that simple life again, and if she was honest, she wasn't sure if she wanted it.

Finding her place in the house, Sookie settled her bags down into the room where the coffins were placed for Eric and Godric. This was their room. She doubted, now that they'd declared her their mate, that Godric or Eric would be sleeping in their own place. The trip had only taken a few minutes, and she had hours left before the vampires would awake again.

With the coffins resting, Bobby bid Sookie goodbye and left. He didn't need to stay much longer. She was safe, and he had delivered the coffins, and he had no other tasks that he had to do at the very moment. Most of his other tasks wouldn't be needed until tomorrow. He was able to go about his own business now that he was sure she was safe. Bobby didn't think he would have to tell Sookie that she couldn't leave.

Sookie was still tired. Everything that she'd been through was wearing on her. The trip, however, made her tense, so she decided that she would shower and then take a nap. Sleep had always been kind to help her figure out what she wanted. Sookie had been told that the blood could influence her dreams, but so far she hadn't experienced it.

Rummaging through her bag, Sookie pulled out some clothing that would be comfortable to sleep in but modest as she headed for the shower. Entering the bathroom, she could not help but let her jaw drop. Eric had a large shower. The glass was transparent, no frosting to hide anything. The shower itself had eight different heads and seemed to pour water from each at perfect angles.

Turning on the water and letting it warm, Sookie stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. She was happy to let the water soak into her skin and relax her muscles. It was the one few bits of the time she would actually have to herself.

Sookie was reluctant to leave the shower, but she couldn't stay in there forever. When she was sure that she was clean, the blonde turned off the water before towel drying and dressing. Slipping back into the darkened bedroom, she knew that they wouldn't see sunlight here due to the unique shutters. Climbing into the bed, she was going to allow herself to rest. Already she was switching to vampire hours, being awake most of the night and drifting off to sleep close to dawn.

As her body relaxed into sleep, Sookie wondered what would happen to her in her dreams. Would she get to experience first hand the ideas she was supposed to have of the vampires? Dreams that they hadn't actually forced her into. Unlike Bill, Eric and Godric knew that the dreams could be stopped if they genuinely wanted it too. It wasn't something they could easily manipulate. The blood mostly made the human dream of the vampire whose blood they had in their system so that the human would become more susceptible and receptive to that vampire. Sookie was already responsive to both Godric and Eric.

_Slowly eyes opened and stared at the bedroom she found herself in. This wasn't her house or her gran's house. She was still in the home that Eric had on the outskirts of Shreveport, but something was different. This didn't feel like any of the dreams that she'd had when Bill's blood had been in her body. She was more aware if that was even possible._

_Climbing out of bed, Sookie's feet padded out of the room and further into the house. She heard a noise coming from the sitting room and headed in that direction. She fully expected to find Eric or Godric around, but it was as if they didn't exist in this dream. The house showed signs of them being there, but she couldn't see them, not yet._

_Entering the sitting room, Sookie saw a figure that she had never seen before. Being around vampires, she knew that she wouldn't know everyone they knew, but this person seemed familiar to her only she couldn't place him._

_"Have a seat child, we have much to discuss you and I."_

_Sookie bit back a retort. She wanted to say something rude, but she didn't get any sort of ill vibes from the man. Obviously, whoever he was, he was strong and powerful enough to influence her dreams. It worth the chance to learn what was going on.  
_

_Sookie took the seat offered and stared at the man. He seemed young. Far younger than he should be given the amount of power that she could sense. Then again, Godric looked young as well._

_"Who are you?"_

_"Relax child. I am a friend, not a foe. I have to come to you like this. You aren't ready for me to come to you any other way. In truth, you should be dreaming about your two vampires, but I have stopped that. Our blood connection is stronger than theirs, for the moment. My name is Niall. You can call me your great-grandfather. My eldest son was your grandfather. Like I said, we have much to discuss."_

_Sookie was shocked, to say the least. She hadn't known that she had a family past her grandmother. She was quite certain that her grandpa Earl was not who this man was speaking of. Sookie wanted to say something, but what could she say? If she argued, she looked like an idiot. It was clear that this man was here for a reason, and interrupting him would only make it take longer._

_"I want you to understand something, Susannah. You've always been looked after. Our kind, we can't travel to your world as much as we would like. Too much iron, it weakens us. You've had a rough life, and I've done what I could to ease it. It's hard when you're in two different realms. You've always had someone looking out for you, why wouldn't you, when you're the true heir."_

_"Heir to what?" Sookie asked him gently. She didn't want to sound ungrateful, but she was so confused. He knew her given name, not the name she chose to go by. This man was already starting to make her a little nervous. Nial, whoever, he was, was showing a great deal of power already._

_"You're not completely human, Sookie. You've never been. Your brother, yes, you no. You see, you've got the spark. The thing that makes you Fae. Before you ask, no, not like Tinkerbell. She's a pixie, not a faerie. We aren't like the faerie in the modern children's tales either. We are more like the Fae you've read about in the old Celtic lore. Well, not quite, but it's as close as you can get. It will at least give you an idea. You are the heir to the Sky Fae, and as I am the High Prince, that makes you a princess."_

_Sookie stopped a moment and pondered what to say before she actually said it. She had willingly given her blood to two vampires that were old enough to know that she wasn't human, and yet neither of them had told her. They'd had the time, even if it was a small amount of it. Time was important._

_"I know what you're thinking, Sookie. Godric suspects, but he cannot confirm. It's why they've waited to say anything. Godric, I expect, will call me soon and ask for a meeting. I owe him my life and will, of course, answer his call. I will confirm with them what I am telling you. They are your mates. There is no doubt. Now that you've started a bond with them, your powers will grow. As they were meant to be. Bill Compton was hindering your ability to be the truly powerful Fae that you can be. We will seek retribution to him for his crimes against the royal house of Brigant. Relax. There are other things that we must talk about before the night pulls you awake."_

_Sookie was curious a moment. Niall seemed to be able to read her thoughts. Maybe it was a Fae trait, after all? If so, at least outside of Barry, she had someone else that understood what it was like._

_"I won't get mad at them for not telling me. Why did you let Bill get his blood into me if it's such a big deal?"_

_Niall could understand Sookie's anger and frustration. The one night he'd let her guards off was the night that Compton had moved in. He hadn't expected it to happen the one night when he had to have all the Sky Fae present. How to make Sookie understand, though?_

_"It wasn't by choice. Once a year, the Fae clans have to meet. Everyone full Fae or even half that live in our realm must attend. I had to pull your guards away for the risk of their own life should they fail to attend the gathering. If I had expected Compton to make a move, then I would have had something in place. A lot of what happened to you is because of the vampires. Fae and Vampire have long been enemies. I should punish Godric and Eric for what they've done to you, but they are truly your soul mates, and therefore I cannot. All the love you were denied is coming to you. All the times you needed someone to just lean on, you've got that now. Your family is growing larger than you can even imagine."_

_Niall paused a moment to run his hands through his short brown hair. He was at a loss really on what to say. It wasn't like there was a manual on conversations like this._

_"Know this. You will need to finish the bond with your vampires soon. You must be bonded to both of them by the week's end. You will need to do so to secure your spot in their world. The vampire Queen of Louisiana is after you, and she will be dealt with, but I cannot be the one to do it no matter how much I wanted it to be me. It must be a vampire. Godric could use a kingdom. What do you think?"_

_Sookie heard the mirth in her great-grandfather's voice and couldn't help the laugh. She would imagine that neither Eric nor Godric really wanted the paperwork that came with being a reagent for a state. Both had been rulers in their human lives, in their own way, so it wasn't like they were ill-equipped for the task. Sookie had no doubt that rules in the vampire world were not hereditary. They were more than likely taken by force._

_"Why is it I can only see you in my dream. If this is even a dream? It's not like I'll be angry with you. I mean, I didn't even know I had any more than Jason. He's not exactly the best, but he is my brother." She said softly._

_Here in her dreams Niall could touch her. Moving, he sat beside her as he placed his hand under her chin to force her to look into her eyes. He wanted to pull her into his lap, but she was an adult now, and that wasn't his place._

_"Jason is only your half brother. Your father was Corbet Stackhouse, you're brother's was not. That is why you're brother only shares part of the Fae traits through your mother. Not the full ones like you. Your mother told no one, not even your Gram knew. I knew because I know things about my family. I've watched over you since it was confirmed you have the spark. You are the true heir, and only when you bond with your vampires when your blood becomes theirs and their blood yours will you be able to be who you are meant too. There are still secrets that must be kept, for now, but know this. You are loved. By more than just your brother."_

_Niall leaned forward and kissed Sookie's forehead. She would be waking up soon, and he needed to go. He could only come to her in her dreams until the time was right. He knew that this visit must come to an end soon._

_"Tell your vampires that I came and visited you. That Godric should call me as soon as he can. They both should know that you are the Fae Princess. They will know what to do. Sookie. Trust them. Let them take care of you as you've deserved to be taken care of for so many years. Quit your job in Bon Temps, and work with Eric. You'll be safer and away from Bill. He is less likely to be able to get you if you're surrounded by people loyal to Eric and Godric. Sookie. If you need me, simply call to me in your dreams. It's the safest time for us to meet. Oh, and Sookie?"_

_Looking up into Niall's eyes, Sookie wanted to question him. She had no doubt that he could read her mind. He'd been doing it all night._

_"Yes?"_

_"Don't allow the human ideals that you've been raised with to get the better of you. You aren't human. Things in the supernatural world aren't the same. What you're entering into, this triad. Do not be ashamed of it. Few would hate you for it that understands. Most want to love. You're getting love from two men who love each other enough to share you. You are their most precious thing. So think before you act, alright?"_

_All Sookie could do was nod her head as Niall vanished from her sight._

Sookie could feel the pull of wakefulness approaching her. Gentle hands were stroking her arms and legs, soothing and coaxing at the same time. Gently, Sookie let her eyes flutter open to see both Godric stroking her gently.

"Wake up Little One, we need to head to Bon Temps and see what damage the Maenad did to your home. We must also ensure that Bill has made it back to his family home. You can't stay, though."

"I know Godric. I had a visit from my great-grandfather in my dreams. Someone named Niall Brigant. We have much to discuss, but before we go, do you think we could do the second level of our bond?"


	6. Bill the Idiotic Vampire

Godric and Eric both froze at the name that spilled from Sookie's lips. If her great-grandfather was indeed Niall Brigant, then they were in for a world of trouble. Well not the two that were mated her, but the other vampires at play.

Neither vampire could argue that this adjustment period would be comfortable for her. She had been raised human, with their morals and ideals, and yet she was anything but human. Godric was forever grateful that he was made the new Chief Enforcer for the Council, especially since Sookie had just admitted to being a bonafide Fairy Princess.

"Yes, it appears that we have much to talk about. The night is young still, but we must address the Maenad soon enough. We have time, however, to talk and discuss the bond. It's not that we don't wish to bond with you Sookie, we want you to understand everything you're getting into."

Godric's voice was soft, and as of yet, Eric had not said a single thing. What was he supposed to say? Most of the things he said only seemed to upset Sookie more. So he was playing silently for once, letting his maker do the talking.

He was, however, searching out the bonds in all of them and trying to see if this was happening. Triads were rare, and the moment the world found out, they would be in danger. He could see the benefits of binding her to both of them, or even just one of them. The queen was still going to make her move, and with Godric's new status, he had free reign to kill anyone that tried to hurt either of them. He knew though that not everyone would respect the fact that Sookie was now under the Guardian's direct protection.

Moving to sit on the bed beside Sookie, Eric on the other, Godric thought about how to phrase what they needed to talk about. She was the most critical thing in their lives now, and all of them were going to have to go through changes to survive this. He wished that their first order of business could be the Queen, but instead it had to be a Maenad.

"This changes everything Sookie. You are a fairy princess that, in its own right, is enough for you to be in danger. Add in the fact that you are going to be mated to both Eric and I? Well, the truly desperate will come after you. We will keep you safe."

Pausing a moment, Godric was hoping that he had her full attention. He did not want to have this conversation, and her not understand what was at stake. The idea of binding her to both himself and his child was something he wanted more than anything. It would tie them closer, but he didn't want her to take that step unless she genuinely wanted it.

"Sookie. Please don't think our hesitation in doing this is against you. We want nothing more than to do the seconding bonding, but we want to do it because you wish it not for some other reason. We do not want you to be pressured into bonding with us. We have time before it becomes an immediate necessity."

Sookie understood their concerns, and she looked at Godric a moment before she took one hand in his and Eric's in her other. " My great-grandfather said that until we are mated and bonded, we are in danger. I will always be in danger because of what I am. He explained that to me. I do understand, but I am not taking this lightly. I want to do this. I want our bond to be stronger before we face down a Maenad. I have a bad feeling that we won't get much more time after that."

Eric and Godric were both thinking over what she said. There was no possible way that they could get both the second and the third blood bonds done tonight. It was going to be hard enough doing a third without completing the mating, and they had a suspicion that she was aware of this.

"Sookie. Little One, we don't know what kind of effect this will have on you. We must do this soon then. Come."

Gently, the older vampire moved Sookie so that she was nestled between himself and Eric. Her back is pressing against both their chests. With her, in this position, it would be much easier for them to get this done.

"Are you sure Sookie?"

"Yes, Eric I am. I want this. I know you both want it too,"

"We'll be even closer bond than we are right now. As it stands, if we don't do this, our blood with leave you, and you will be free of the blood influence. We, I, don't want you thinking that we want to do this so that we can control you."

For a moment, Sookie twisted in their arms so that she could look into the ocean blue eyes of Eric. The emotions she saw there should shock her. He was a master of the poker face, but right now, he looked more than vulnerable. If she had seen him like this when she had first gone to Fangtasia, she was sure that things would have been different. This was a rare side of Eric that she had no doubt was brought out by the closeness of his maker too him.

"Eric. I want this. I want you, both of you. For the first time in my life, I feel accepted, but it's more than that. I feel like I'm not a burden to you that you have to take care of because we are family. I'm not someone with who you have to take care of out of obligation. Both of you, in the short time I've truly had to know you have made me feel loved for me. Not for being that freaky telepath with the large chest."

"I like your large chest."

"Eric!"

Sookie couldn't resist the slap to his chest at that comment. Hearing Godric chuckle, she blushed a moment. That was a comment from the Eric she was familiar with. Blushing she couldn't help but tuck her head down a moment.

Lifting Sookie's face so that he could stare in her eyes, Eric gave her a genuine smile.

"Don't be embarrassed. They are a fine asset you have. You are more valuable than you will ever realize Sookie, and it has nothing to do with your talent. You are a human being who doesn't judge vampires simply because we are vampires. I can't say that our first meeting got off well, but then you had Bill's blood in you, so it was likely he made you feel like hating me. I would not be surprised at all in that regard. I will do my best never to make you feel like just an asset. This, I promise."

The words were sincere, and he knew that with Godric's help, he would be able to keep his promise. He wanted Sookie to feel loved and not that she had to be with him because she was thought of as an asset. No, he wanted her. She was his mate, and Godric's too.

Leaning her back against him he kissed her cheek gently before preparing her.

"We will bite our wrists, and you will drink from each of them until they close. Then we will bite you at the same time. It's the easiest way to do it right now. Do you trust me, us?"

If she didn't trust them, they would not be able to get this done. They had to trust each other.

At her nod, Eric bit into his wrist first, and presented it to her. Sookie drank her fill on his blood, realizing that it tasted nothing like what she remembered of Bill's. Eric's blood tasted of ice and sea. It wasn't cold, but it reminded her of the one time she'd been at the beach when it was severe enough there was ice on the water.

Eric was having a hard time controlling himself. It was by his sheer force of will and Godric sending him calming vibes that allowed him to be able not to lose his composure with Sookie drinking from him. When the wound closed, he was almost sad to see it stop, but he knew that Godric needed his turn or they would never finish.

Almost as soon as Eric's wrist closed and was removed, Godric's was there waiting for her. Sookie drank his blood with the same amount of enthusiasm. Godric tasted more earthy than Eric did. More like dirt and the fresh morning dew. She was in heaven with his blood, as well. The mixed remnants of Eric with Godric's blood was arousing her in a way she hadn't expected.

When both of their wrists had closed up, Sookie couldn't fight the groan at a loss. She wanted more. Both Godric and Eric had been nuzzling her neck on either side, preparing for when they could sink their fangs into her. When their wrists closed, they both moved in unison.

The pleasure of their bite was too much for Sookie. She could no longer fight the orgasm that had built up inside of her, and she climaxed at just the feel of the bite alone. While she was awash in the pleasure of it, all Godric and Eric both only took a few small sips of her blood, allowing the feel of her desire to overtake them as well. The three were soon a tangle of limbs as they came down from their climaxes. Sookie was laying on her back with both vampires nuzzling her as they waited for her to join them inland of the conscious.

"Is it always going to be like that?"

Letting out a small chuckle, Eric replied. "I hope so. It's like that because we are mates, and we are bonding."

Watching over both of his loves with a look of affection, Godric soaked in love. Before the bombing and Sookie ingesting their blood, he had been on the verge of ending his own life. Two thousand plus years is a long time to be on this earth. While he had Eric and even Nora in his life, it had not been enough to want to keep him here. That was until he met Sookie.

Even before he knew of her association with Eric, he had felt a pull to her. There in that basement at the Fellowship of the Sun. Then he had smelled faint traces of Eric on her, probably from having been around her. It wasn't anything significant, but it was enough to make him not disregard her as just another human. Then her defense of Eric in the church had cemented in his mind that she was someone special.

It was after the bombing and her trying to save both himself and Eric that he had known that he couldn't end his life. He could not leave her or his son unprotected in the world around them. Eric was a capable warrior, far more so than anyone gave him credit for, but he would be lost without his maker and Sookie. Godric understood this. It was why they were both to be protected directly by the Authority and the Council.

Laying with his head on Sookie's stomach, Godric was waiting for her to return to herself. The second bonding had been more intense than the first. Partially because she hadn't realized what she was doing when she'd sucked the bullets and shrapnel from their bodies and then fed them her blood. It was too late to stop her when they came back to themselves. The act had already been done.

He was using his bonds to check on both of his loves. Eric was happy, content for the first time in a long time. Sookie was the one he was concerned about. Her emotions were everywhere, but none of them made it seem as if she was upset over what had happened. In a way, he was glad he couldn't hear her thoughts, yet. He worried what they might reveal.

Sookie was feeling so many different things at once. She was blissfully happy with the fact that they had formed their second bond. She was also scared of what it would mean for them. Both Godric and Eric were putting themselves in danger only by being around her. She had been there when the Guardian had pronounced Godric the Chief Enforcer. She had seen the look on Bill's face when he realized that she couldn't be taken quickly. That didn't mean that she couldn't be upset that they were going to be in danger.

Coming back to herself, Sookie felt her hands running through both Godric and Eric's hair as she let her body come down. They were all going to need showers after that, and it made her nervous. It was a step she wasn't sure she wanted to take, yet.

"Don't be embarrassed, Sookie. There is nothing for you to be ashamed of. What we have, this bond between the three of us, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Sookie looked at Eric and sighed. That wasn't what she was afraid of. She'd been through so much already because of the vampires, and she was scared. Honest to goodness, scared about what was going to happen. They weren't always going to be there.

"I'm not ashamed of this. I asked for this. I just worry."

"She's afraid, Eric, that something would happen to us. She forgets that you've been a warrior for a thousand years, and I've been a warrior longer. Little One, my nickname in the vampire world, is Death. Few would be willing to challenge me. As my eldest child, Eric was known as the companion of Death. Few would challenge him. Those that have tried don't survive. You have nothing to be afraid of. We will keep you safe."

Turning to stare into the green eyes of Godric, Sookie couldn't argue. The love, adoration, and complete calm they were sending her through their bonds. She wanted to be mad at them for this, but she understood. They were just trying to help her to calm down. She couldn't hate them for that.

With every fiber of her being Sookie believed that her vampires would protect her. That they would fight until their True Death to protect her, but what good was she to them? She couldn't resist. Not yet, anyway. Shaking away the thoughts before they ruined the moment, Sookie sighed.

"I need a shower. Then I guess we should get going to Bon Temps."

She was still nervous, scared about what was going on. A shower would help her take her mind off of it. Watching as both vampires moved off the bed and allowed her up, Sookie blushed a moment when she saw them scenting the air. It made her nervous, and she couldn't escape from them fast enough.

Grabbing a change of clothes, Sookie ran into the bathroom to shower. She would take her time so that she could make sure that all of her thoughts were in order before she said anything else that might be confusing.

With Sookie in the shower, Eric and Godric remained lounging on the bed. Everything had changed. Their bond shouldn't be this strong after only two exchanges. Even if she didn't know about the first one. Then again, no one had ever bonded to a fairy before.

"It appears that we have more working in our case than we thought. If she's the great-granddaughter of Niall, he will be an ally for sure. I was going to call him before he came to her in her dreams. I will call him. I can't imagine that he will want to leave her unprotected, and I don't suspect that he has truly done so."

"What of the queen? Surely she's been told of the situation by now? You know as well as I do that any move I make against her could be seen as treason. Even if I'm under the protection of the Guardian."

"Eric, she can't do anything. As the head of the bloodline and the Chief Enforcer, I can call you to me anytime I want. Roman is not going to have an issue with it. They are just looking for a reason to end the queen. I know you don't want to be king, but someone has to step up, and we can't let it be Compton or Nan. Neither of them knows how to run a country."

Eric couldn't argue with his maker. Godric knew better than anyone the danger that would be faced if they tried to go against either of them. Both were skilled warriors and leaders, kings, in their own right. They knew how to run countries and armies. They were not going to let anyone the likes of Sophie Anne LeClerq get in their way.

"This Maenad may be a challenge. I have a feeling she's in Bon Temps for a reason. They don't just get to backwater towns. Why bother, when there are more people to feed on in the larger populated towns? It doesn't make sense. I don't want a confrontation with her, but we must do something. My sources are telling me that it may be the shifter they are after."

Eric laughed a bit. Merlotte always seemed to find himself in a situation that wasn't all that easy to get out of. He was looking forward to this. Unlike the rest of the world, both Eric and Godric knew how to kill the Maenad. With Godric being as old as he was, he had encountered a lot of types of supernaturals and learned how to kill a good many of them.

"He might be needed to kill the Maenad though, which means that one of us will have to give blood. I can't ask it of Pam, she's watching Fangtasia, and she doesn't know the whole situation. I don't want my blood or yours in the shifter, not when we share it with Sookie."

"We can't trust Compton with the task. It's going to have to be you, Eric. At least you can control the shifter. He resides in your jurisdiction. We just need to let Sookie know what we plan."

He wasn't going to say that the sources he had, were weres he hired to look around the area. From what they had reported, the house that Sookie owned was in shambles, as was much of the town. They had no way of knowing that the Maenad would strike right as they were leaving to rescue him. He doubted that he would be able to prevent even more damage. The longer they took to get to the town the longer it was going to take.

When the shower ended and Sookie reappeared, both vampires stared at her. She looked freshly scrubbed, and her scent was amazing. Their scents still clung to hers, but the smell of her arousal was gone. If it weren't for the situation at hand, both would have been upset at the loss of the smell.

Pulling Sookie to them, both vampires kissed her cheek before they stood up.

"We are going to shower, and when we get back, we will be on our way back to Bon Temps."

They could have showered at the same time she was, but they decided to wait for her. Sookie didn't know her away around the home, and there was no need for her to be left alone for that long. They both could speed through any shower and still be clean. Which is precisely what they did.

Neither vampire took more than ten minutes to shower and change before they were back in the bedroom with Sookie. She was waiting on them, and they both escorted her through the house and into the garage. The sheer amount of cars to choose from was astounding, and while Eric wanted to take his Corvette, it was not practical for the three of them. They needed something else, something that wouldn't be torn to shreds on the backroads of Bon Temps.

Choosing the Suburban, Eric sighed as he headed for the driver's seat. Sookie climbed into the back as Godric took the passenger side. This would get them there, but he hated that he owned it. Pam had talked him into it, and since she tended to do all his shopping, he hadn't needed it. The bar had a van that they could use to transport people for questioning.

Exiting the garage and heading down the road from his home in Shreveport, Eric took the route that would take them to Bon Temps. It wasn't exactly a quick drive, but it wasn't like driving to Dallas.

There was a peaceful silence in the car as they all thought about what was ahead of them. They knew that it was a Maenad that they were facing, but they weren't even sure if they would beat this.

"Sookie. Godric and I both have an idea for how to get rid of the Maenad. It's going to require the use of Sam and some of my blood. I don't want to give him my blood out of respect for our bond, but if I do not, there is a good chance that he might die from this. We don't want him to die, because he is someone you care about, a friend."

Sooke thought about what they were saying. If it involved Sam, it was probably going to affect him being a shifter. She'd known his secret for a while but hadn't let on. If he wasn't comfortable enough to tell her, then she wasn't going to confront him on it correctly. It just meant he didn't trust her as much as she trusted him. Trust was important in their world, and she was trusting the two vampires in the car with her. So far they hadn't let her down.

"He isn't exactly the most honest person. I doubt you'd be able to get his help without having to force some sort of deal out of him. Even I doubt I could convince him to help without some deal willingly. He's more than likely going to try to turn tail and run, hoping that we will somehow take care of his Maenad problem for him."

It was a thought. Neither wanted to have to make a deal with the shifter, but seeing as they could not change their shapes, they would have too. There were not any other shifters in the area that would do this. Werewolves didn't count, and neither did any of the other supernaturals in the area. If Sam made them have to work hard to find another solution they were going to make the shifter suffer.

"It is a thought, but you will find that we can be very persuasive when we need to be. The situation will be dealt with."

Sookie had a feeling that things in Bon Temps were far from over. There was nothing in the farmhouse that she wanted anymore. The only person that mattered was dead because of Renee, and Sookie didn't see anything happening with the house. She had no reason to be out there. If it hadn't been for the fact that generations of Stackhouse had built the home, she wouldn't be opposed to getting rid of it. It was going to take far more money than she had to maintain it.

Watching as the Suburban turned into the main road of Bon Temps, Sookie was shocked with how dead everything looked. It reminded her of one of those zombie movies she'd seen once with Jason. The place was a ghost town.

Carefully they drove through the heart of Bon Temps and out towards Hummingbird Lane and the farmhouse. Both vampires were on full alert. They were more than aware that something wasn't right. They had waited as long as they could to get out here, hoping that the Maenad would choose to move on. The damage had already been done while Sookie was in Dallas and it was too late to stop that.

Pulling the Suburban to a stop at the corner of Hummingbird Lane, they all climbed out and chose to go on foot. The sounds of the party were making all of them slightly uncomfortable. Looking around, Sookie tried to figure out what was going on. From what she could see it looked like the ceremony was already started.

_Wait is that Bill Compton there with Sam? What the hell?_

The thought triggered in all of their minds at the same time. For a moment, it shocked them, but the vampires knew that it was a perk of their bond. They would get to hear each other in their minds. It was a shock, but they could worry about it later.

Approaching the scene, the two vampires and one fairy-human hybrid watch in stunned awe at what they were seeing. Their plan had also been Bill's, but as long as the Maenad was taken care of, they couldn't care more.

Before them was Bill Compton, and he was debating with the Maenad. Sam was being dragged away as if he was no longer the sacrifice that she needed. The words that were spilling from the vampire's mouth made them all want to cringe and laugh, but they couldn't decide which for sure.

"Dear One. Listen. I offer you a much better sacrifice than the shifter. We both know that his blood is foul anyway. No, I have a better proposition for you, someone who has strong blood and powerful blood."

Sookie couldn't believe what she was watching. Bill was trying to negotiate with this creature as Sam was being led off. With the vampire blood enhancing her, she could see what Sam was doing. The two that were leading him off worked for Bill, and they let go of him as soon as he was far enough from the scene with Compton and the Maenad.

They watched as Sam seemed to follow through with some plan and shifted into a giant bull. The fact that the very idea that Eric and Godric had, was being followed through did not bode well. That meant that someone older had told Compton how to defeat it. It might have been his maker, but Lorena was not old enough to have encountered one. It was possible that the Queen could know of one, but would she tell Bill?

Neither vampire moved, and they held Sookie between them as they watched the events unfold. Now was not the time to spring into action. It would only cause future problems. No, they needed to figure out what the fuck was going on.

They watched as Sam killed the Maenad and Bill spoke with him. It was Sookie laughing at what Bill was saying that broke their silence and alerted the others to their presence. She couldn't help it, though. The vampire was utterly foolish.

"Thank you for your assistance shifter. Now that I have taken care of the Maenad, Sookie will have to let me around. She owes me for it. After all, look at what more damage it could have done to her home."

Who wouldn't giggle a bit at that.

Walking out of the shadows, Godric, Eric, and Sookie both stared at Sam and Bill as they approached them.

"Are you an idiotic vampire or did your Maker hit you over the head a lot? As if you think I would let you get anywhere near me after what was discovered in Dallas? For your information, Beehl. We were on our way to take care of the Maenad ourselves. After all, Godric and Eric both already knew how to stop her. Do tell me, did your little queen put you up to this? Still thinking she can obtain herself a telepath?"


	7. Come What May

Sookie honestly could not believe the gall of the vampire that was standing there talking to Sam Merlotte. Or the simple fact that Sam seemed to be going along with it. She knew that her former boss was not a fan of vampires, or of her being with Eric in particular but this, this was a new low even for him.

Godric and Eric were amused and impressed with this stronger Sookie. Neither had believed that she was as weak-willed as Bill had tried to make her out to be. No, this new Sookie was a worthy mate for both of them. Even if she was a little brash at times. That was nothing compared to what she could be. Both had wondered if Bill's blood had been hampering her from being who she really wanted to be.

No one had expected her to come back and react like this. To speak her mind to Bill. In truth, they were laughing and wishing they could have actually said what she had said. Neither one really felt like getting rid of Compton at the moment, and until he made an official move against Sookie, they could not act. Yes Godric was now the Chief Enforcer and could, without any qualms, kill Bill, he was going to let this play out.

Any experienced general knew that if you wanted to truly end the fight, you take out those backing the soldiers or they will just keep sending more. Taking out Bill would only stop one problem, it wouldn't stop them all. No, they needed to buy time and figure out who was behind this little charade.

Watching Bill turn and gape at Sookie, Eric was more than ready to protect her from the likes of Beehl Compton. No one would hurt her if he could prevent it.

"Sookie. I am appalled at your attitude. I'm sure that your Gran would be highly disappointed in you right now. That is no way for a Southern Lady to talk. What kind of influence have you let these vampires have over you."

The moment the words left Bill's mouth Sam, Eric, and Godric all took a step away from the delusional vampire. No one wanted to be on the other side of the explosion that was about to start. Eric and Godric both were quickly rethinking their desire to leave Compton alive. Both could feel the pain, anger, and fury that was rapidly rising through their mate.

Eric wanted to take her into his arms and hold her tight, but they needed to let her do this. She needed to handle this battle. Everyone could feel the rise in Godric, the need to do something and for once it was Eric keeping his head.

Sookie stared at the form of the vampire she used to love. The more she stared at him, the more she wondered what anyone would see in him. Bill was a fake. At one time he might have lived in the south, but now he was nothing like a southern gentleman, and they both knew it.

Moving closer to Bill, Sookie let her hand fly. How dare he say a damn thing about a woman he never got to know, only meet. Her eyes raged as she stared at the worthless vampire, her hand should have been stinging from the blow. If she had been her usual human self, her blow wouldn't have whipped Bill's head around. When he turned to gaze at her, Sookie could see the trail of blood that started around his eye and started to run down his face.

His skin was bleeding, and it looked as if she'd knocked one of his fangs out of his face at the sheer force of her blow. Everyone was watching Sookie, waiting to see what she would say or do.

She could tell Bill who she indeed was, the source of her telepathy and her history, but that would just make her even more of a target. Or she could simply wail on him, yet she couldn't decide either. Too much information in the wrong hands was dangerous.

"How dare you. You know nothing about my Grandmother. She would have slapped you in the face or forced you to eat soap with that mouth of yours. My grandmother is proud of who I am. She would be proud of who I've chosen in my life. How hard is it to understand that you lost Bill. I am not yours, I never will be yours. I don't know how we can get that through your head. Godric outranks you, Eric outranks you, hell even I outrank you in the world of Vampires. Your Queen, she's no one in the grand scheme of things. So tell me? Why do you insist on continuing this nonsense?"

"Sookeh. Don't you see what they've done? They've clouded your mind. Its blood. They can make you feel whatever they want you to feel, and you'll have little choice but go along with it. This isn't the strong woman I've heard so much about. I took care of your little Maenad problem. Come with me. I can keep you safe from them."

Sookie wondered just why Bill was pushing this so hard. It was clear to everyone in the room when the Guardian had shown up, that Godric now had free rein to kill anyone that was a threat to those he protected. He had called her his mate, labeling Eric the same. It had elevated them higher than even Bill in the vampire hierarchy, and yet Compton was still trying to get her to go with him. Whoever was pulling his strings was either insane or manipulative enough that they had a vampire-like Bill Compton tied up in knots.

Tilting her head to the side, feeling confusion, shame and regret swarming her own thoughts, Sookie almost said something. Until she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her and two very gentle kisses on either side of her neck. She knew that her vampires would not abuse the blood bond they had started. They would not force her into feeling something other than her true feelings. It was their strength and their solidarity that was granting her the wisdom to see the situation for what it is.

It was the gentleness of her two lovers that made her happy. She could not regret what they shared with her, nor she with them. It was only a matter of time before something came and changed it all. This much she did know. Gaining the strength enough to speak Sookie did so as she moved away from Eric and Godric.

"I don't understand this foolish notion of yours, Bill. We went over this in Dallas. I am not yours. I have never been yours. You do not know the first thing about my family or my friends, and you surely know nothing about me. I am not going to let you take me to some spoiled little Queen who couldn't even be bothered to come to talk to me. Is she so pompous that she had to send someone like you to come to try to get me? I don't want to work for her. I belong to Godric and Eric. You cannot have me. The answer is no."

Bill was shocked for a moment but honestly he had expected that. He knew the kind of mind voodoo that they could play on her. She was a simple woman from a backwater town, and she didn't know the first thing about what it took to survive in the real world. He would take great pleasure in showing her what it truly meant to be afraid. Oh yes that would be the best.

Some might call his next move ingenious or stupid, it depended upon the point of view, but he was tired of arguing with her. She would come if he had to drag her away from himself. That was precisely what he planned on doing. If she just went with him, he could say that she willingly agreed to leave Godric and Eric, and neither of them would be able to do a damned thing. So he acted. He grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her forward enough that she stumbled.

It was the last thing he did before he felt an overwhelming amount of pain. Through the haze, he could hear the voice of Eric in his ear and see the sight of Godric in front of him. He dared not move, afraid that if he did so, he would cause his own True Death.

Sookie honestly hadn't expected that Bill would be stupid enough to grab her but he had. She hadn't even had a chance to register that she had been jerked forward when she was released, barely missing the shower of blood from Bill's severed arm. Standing in front of her, having ripped Compton's arm entirely from the socket was a side of Godric she had never before witnessed. This must be Death they spoke of. She should be frightened, but she was not. He would never hurt her.

Eric had Compton in such a grip that if the younger vampire so much as breathed, he would rip his own head from his shoulders. She could hear the snarling and growling and knew that Bill would be dead before too very long. She also remembered that the Guardian had said that they would need just cause. She hoped that they wouldn't be so brash as to kill him now.

Choosing to speak to his maker in something other than Swedish or Norse, Eric knew he needed to say something to calm Godric down. They could not kill Bill just yet.

"Máistir, ní bheidh mé tús a insint duit go calma féin. Just a fhios agat gur féidir Sookie tuiscint ar ár mothúcháin agus do fearg. Tá mé Bille nach mbeidh sé a bheith ag dul in áit ar bith. Cuir glaoch Pam, beidh sí a thabhairt ar an veain agus rudaí eile gur gá dúinn. (Master, I will not begin to tell you to calm yourself. Just know that Sookie can sense our emotions and your anger. I have Bill; he will not be going anywhere. Please call Pam, she will bring the van and other things that we need.)

"Tá mé socair." (I am calm.)

Godric's response was enough to set Eric laughing and freak Bill out even more. If this was his maker calm, he would hate to truly see his maker angry. It was an inside joke of course, but they were both working very hard to calm themselves so that they did not hurt their mate with their feelings.

Both vampires noticed the shifter was still there and they saw his unhealthy gaze at Sookie. They could also feel her anger and her sadness, and it didn't take them long to determine who was to blame. They would deal with Merlotte as well but right now, both wanted to make sure that Bill did not escape them.

Godric made his call and watched Eric keep hold of their prisoner. He wanted to comfort Sookie, but he needed to get this task done.

Sookie looked around at the site of the Maenad attack. She wanted to check on the farmhouse, but it would take another day. She was just too drained from dealing with Bill to go through it all. In her passing gaze, she caught the fact that Sam was still there, and he was staring at her. His voice was in her head, louder than it had ever been before. His thoughts pushing at her and making her wish she had never met the man.

_I was wrong about you, Sookie. I thought you were a good sweet girl, but that was all a lie, wasn't it. You were just hiding behind that persona to bide time. Waiting for the vampires. You're worse than a fangbanger, Sookie. At least they admit what they are. You. You're just a vampire slut who is sleeping with two of them at the same time. Does it thrill you? How fast were they able to hurt Bill? Does that turn you on you little whore? I thought you were better than that, but I was so wrong._

_Don't bother coming back, Sookie. No one in this town wants anything to do with you. You've burned your last bridge when you refused Bill's offer. He would have given you life. A chance to be someone other than a freak. You spit it in his face and side with the worst of the lot. Those two vampires, they only want you for one thing, and it isn't your telepathy. I don't employ vampire sluts. Fangbangers, sure but vampire sluts. No. Stay away from Bon Temps, and away from us._

Sookie wished that his words didn't hurt her, but they were words, and they did. She wasn't impervious to the way people thought, but she had never expected this kind of hostility from Sam. There was a part of her that wondered if he was glamoured enough to say these things. She usually had to fight him to listen to his thoughts, and here he was throwing them in her face. It was odd.

Godric had finished his brief call to Pam and wrapped his arms around Sookie. He knew that Eric wanted too as well, but that would mean they would have to let go of Bill. Kissing her behind her ear, he spoke to her softly.

"Mo ghrá, do not listen to a word he says in his mind. It may not be his thoughts. We don't know what Bill had done before we got here. Merlotte could be glamoured. We will find out when Pam gets here."

Sookie nodded a moment and wanted to ask him what he had called her but now was not the time. The sound of the van pulling up almost made her groan. She really wanted to just go home and sleep this off.

Pam, with the aid of gloves and silver, assisted Eric with securing Bill into the back of the van before rounding up Sam as well. With both secure, she took off back to Fangtasia to prepare them for Eric's hospitality, and Godric's.

Every one of the vampires could sense her sadness, and two of them would do something about it later. Right now, they needed to get home. It was too close to dawn for them to work out their frustration.

Scooping Sookie into his arms, Godric took off into the sky with Eric right behind him. They would stop at Fangtasia long enough to ensure that Bill and Sam were secure before they would go home for the night. Sookie fell asleep on the trip over and did not wake even when they went to check on their prisoners. Confident that neither vampire nor shifter could escape, the vampires left. Pam to her own home, and Eric and Godric to theirs with their Sookie.

The trip was shorter when they were discussing torture tactics amongst themselves. Both vampires had creative ideas for ways to inflict more pain on Bill. They would have to alert the Magister and the Guardian about what happened, but as long as they didn't kill him straight away, they could have some fun.

Entering their safe house, Eric set the security for the day and followed Godric as he carried Sookie up to their room. Both vampires worked in tandem to strip her of her slightly bloody clothing and placing her into something comfortable for her to wear. A shirt of Eric's and a pair of pants of Godric's. With her nestled into the bed, both vampires quickly disrobed and joined her, curling around her in a protective stance. As dawn approached and they slipped into their day death, they cocooned around her. She was their mate, and they would protect her even in their sleep.


	8. Break Free of the Past

For Sookie, it was strange to enter into a realm of dreamlessness. With everything that had already happened, she felt as if not being able to dream about anything was anti-climatic. No visits from Fae relatives, no vampire induced dreams. Just a sense of nothingness until she awoke again, almost as if she had died for the day just like a vampire would have. 

Waking to the stillness of Godric and Eric beside her, Sookie paused for a moment. There was no doubt that she had been through so much already. Things were moving quickly in her life, and she didn't get the chance to really process much of anything. 

After her gran's death, she had come to Dallas to help Eric find Godric and got far more in the bargain than she would have thought, got to meet a mighty vampire, become protected and respected by others, had two ancient vampires declare that she was their mate. Then she got to go almost fight a Maenad. So very little time to actually sit and think about things. 

While meeting with Niall had been enlightening, she hadn't expected to have any problems. He was not here yet, just contact her in her dreams. She knew that he would be back, that there would be no way to avoid him. She was his family, and he would teach her. Now was not the time. At least, as far as she knew. They were supposed to be meeting him anyway, right? 

Slowly climbing out of bed, Sookie took a quick shower and changed into some clothing of her own. Her dress from last night would need to be washed, and since she hadn't really had a chance to explore the house, she thought about doing so now. Her shields were done, and she would very easily be able to pick up on other human thoughts. That much was clear. Yet she didn't really feel as if the minds were invading, just there. It wasn't like the minds that she had encountered where the humans were glamoured. No, this was just simple thoughts. 

Moving from the bedroom through the hallway and down towards the kitchen, Sookie contemplated her options. She was hungry, but she needed time to think about things. Not having gran there to talk too was going to make this more challenging for her. In a way, she knew that it was already too late to back out of any arrangement that she had with Eric and Godric. They were one bond away from a permanent blood bond, and she wasn't sure what to expect. 

Well, that was a lie. She had an idea of what to expect if what she felt from Eric and Godric was any indication to go by. She knew that their blood in her would cloud her feelings to a point, but neither seemed really willing to push that. When she had been facing off with Bill, they hadn't even intervened to try to change how she felt. For that, she was more than appreciative. 

Finding her way to the kitchen, Sookie noticed that the place was empty. There were no other humans here. Maybe he didn't have staff at this house? It's not like he really needed too. The only humans that she knew of in his life were his day-man Bobby and Ginger, who helped run the bar with them. Humans were not often used in Eric's life, too many things could go wrong. Sookie was not stupid enough to know that it was also about trust. 

After all, the events in Dallas proved well enough that it was hard to trust humans. Not all were loyal, and those that you thought were loyal could betray you in a heartbeat. So as she rummaged through the food in the kitchen, she thought about everything that had gone on. Sookie needed to make a list needed to weigh the pros and cons of what was going on. It was too late to back out of her actions with the vampires, and in truth, she did not wish too. 

Maybe this was the problem. Sookie was not someone who often let the world dictate what happened, but she had. If they were going to understand anything, she needed clarity in her mind. It was stupid of her to believe that their lives would get any slower. From the moment that Bill had entered it, her life had spun out of control, and Sookie knew that she would never get back to how things were before. 

As she sat there eating her meal slowly, the blonde contemplated things. Bon Temps had been her childhood home, there was no denying that, but could she go back? Could she go and face the scorn that encroached upon her day in and day out. The small-town minds that seemed to either think she was crazy or some sort of gold-digger or several other insults that they often hurled her way. Everyone in that town had known what kind of woman her mother was, and they blamed her for it. As if she could have controlled how her own mother acted. That was the bad part about living in such a small town. 

Shreveport did not offer her much in the way of understanding. Yes, it was where Eric and Pam lived and Godric now too, she supposed. There was Fangtasia, and she could honestly work there, but could she do it? Could she leave everything behind that she had grown up with? Maybe that was the wrong question to ask herself. 

Yes she could leave Bon Temps behind. There was no one there anymore that made it worth it. Even Jason didn't actually seem to care. Her brother was another sore subject for her and one that she was not going to think on yet. 

Finished with her meal, Sookie quickly washed the dishes and put them away before she continued her exploration of the house. Finding what looked like an office, she smiled. It was very Eric. Dark wood tones and a very minimalistic look. She needed to write things down, or she was never going to truly understand what was happening. 

As she started searching the room, Sookie felt an odd pull in her bonds with both vampires. She would have to ask them when they awoke, what was going on. She knew very little about the vampire world or the politics that ruled them. That was something that would need to be rectified if she was going to survive. It wasn't that she doubted Godric or Eric's ability to protect her, she didn't want them to have too. 

Slowly she started to write down everything that had happened to her since she had met her first vampire. Everything, including the feelings and thoughts that had plagued her mind that first night and how quickly she had changed her mind in regards to things that Bill had done. He was a prisoner of Eric, trapped in the basement of Fangtasia, and a part of her wondered if she could get answers. It was no doubt that Bill had been sent from the Queen to try to take her, but was she really willing to start a war over it? 

With each event that she chronicled, Sookie could feel her emotions reacting. So many things still needed to be answered, and she would make sure that they were. It was hard to sit there and write it all down, but something inside of her was telling her to do this. That this would be important later. 

Time passed by so quickly that Sookie hadn't realized that it was nightfall again until she sensed the two voids of her vampires and heard their soft growls. It was the growling that forced her to turn to them. Anger was clear on both of their faces and in their stances, and for one brief moment, Sookie thought it was aimed at her. That was until she followed the trail of their eyes. 

Her writing littered the desk, showing them clearly everything she had been through since first meeting a vampire. Things that she hadn't even told Eric about. Neither vampire was happy with it, knowing that someone had broken all the rules, and Eric hadn't even enforced punishment for it. That was not going to sit well for long. 

It was Godric that spoke first, anger still clear in every line of his body, like a serpent coiled to strike. “Come. Let us discuss all of this before we attend to Compton. I would imagine that the Magister would rather like to hear all of this. After all, the last thing they want is a war with the Sky Fae, and if Bill had truly done all of these things, war is what can happen.”

The tone of his voice was soft as he held out his hand for his mate. They must talk about this, and he, along with Eric, must get proof before they bring their accusations up. He would also need to contact Niall and let the man know everything that had happened to his kin. He just hoped that the Prince of the Fae would not strike them all down in his anger, even though it would be his right. 

Sookie took Godric's hand with one of hers, her other hand slipping into Eric's as they left the office and headed to the living area. Eric brought the papers with him as they sat her down and got her something to drink before beginning their conversation. 

“How much about the vampire world did Bill tell you? I know that you knew enough to not argue about his claim to you when you first met me.”

“He hasn't told me anything. Just that you were dangerous and that if I didn't do what he suggested, you could hurt me or kill me and that you would. At the time, I honestly didn't know any better. By that time, I had been fed massive amounts of his blood, and now I understand why, a little. So he was able to influence me with his own feelings.”

Both vampires growled at this. Godric spoke, trying to cut the tension. If their Sookie was upset, they would not get the information that they needed. They must start from the beginning, and he would need to call in favor with both Niall and the Magister if they were going to get through this night. 

“My Sookie, Little One, we must know everything that has transpired up until your rescuing of me in Dallas. There are things that the Guardian said in that conference room at the hotel that I think will be better understood once we know the whole story. We have bits and pieces, but it is up to you to help us fill in the blanks. Let me start with this:” 

Leaning forward, Godric kissed her gently before pulling back. He was trying hard not to influence her emotions but her nervousness was hitting him hard. 

Eric could feel it too, the nerve-wracking feeling that was overtaking his mate. He hated it. Following Godric, he kissed her as well before scooping her up and placing her in his lap. Holding onto her would help him hold onto his temper. He might be a one thousand-year-old Viking, but he was still quite explosive when he got mad. Only Godric had ever been able to keep him calm when his anger overwhelmed him. 

“We will never be mad at you Sookie for what happened. Know this. It is not your fault. Humans do not know the ways of vampires unless they are told. You wouldn't have known when you first met that despicable excuse for a vampire.”

Biting her lip a moment, the blonde telepath wondered exactly what she was getting into. She understood on some level that they needed to know this, and Bill and Sophie Anne would be punished because she was quite sure they would not stop trying to come after her. It was the thought of war that had her scared. 

“I'll start from the beginning. I had been excited when I first heard about vampires. It's nice to know that you were real and not just stories told to scare people. I, of course, had never expected to meet one. Who would come to a tiny little place like Bon Temps? I mean Shreveport, I could understand, and since I did not, at the time, know anyone there, I had no desire to venture out of my little town. I was working at Merlotte's when Bill showed up. I knew he wasn't human the first time I saw him. The same way I can tell with you, you all glow.”

There, that was a simple start. Both older vampires already knew that she was telepathic, so that conversation would not come as a surprise to them, this much she did know. “As you can imagine, my life hasn't been easy. Being able to hear the thoughts of all the humans around me takes a toll. Bill was the first person whose thoughts I could not read. It was like this blissful silence in my head. It was easy to be around him, that first night.”

“What are you holding back min kärlek?”

Frowning a moment as she realized that both vampires could sense her emotions, Sookie knew that lying to them both was not beneficial. 

“There were a couple of drainers in Bon Temps, Mack and Denise Rattray. We called them the Rats for short. That first night, Bill apparently glamoured them to drain him. I had no idea, I just knew that they were dangerous and would have killed him if I had not intervened. At the time, I had no idea it was a test, but the way he acted, so very ungentlemanly at the time. I think the only thing that kept him from launching himself at me that first night was that I had wrapped the silver chain they used on him around my neck. He tried to get me to take his blood at least three times during our conversation before I finally got pulled away by Sam and forced back to work.”

Sighing, Sookie moved so that she was nestled further into Eric's embrace. What she was speaking off she didn't like and it was clear through their almost complete bond. This was not something that would be easy for her. 

“The next night Bill was supposed to meet me when I got off of work but he was late. I've never seen vampires late before, and he's been so punctual each time after that. I was distracted, and I didn't hear the thoughts of Denise or Mack until it was too late. They beat me to within an inch of my life. All I remember at first is the pain and then waking up to Bill, licking blood from my head, and feeling strangely drugged. I must have passed out again because the next time I woke up, I was home, showered and feeling better than ever.”

“Min kompis, did Bill tell you what the blood would do to you? Did he even tell you that he had fed you so much blood?”

Sookie turned a moment and looked at Godric as she puzzled over his question. Whatever they were calling her, she didn't mind. The sounds of the words soothing to her. She knew it was Swedish or some variation of it and wondered if they would teach her. 

“That first night, in away. He simply told me that it would make me healthy and increase my libido, but that was it. He never told me about the dreams I'm quite sure he influenced me to have or the fact that he could make me feel things opposite of what I felt. He told me that he gave me some of his blood to heal me but not how much. That was also right around the time that we found out about the murderer who was targeting the fangbangers. All of it led up to me making a trip to Fangtasia to try to see what I could find. 

“When I first saw Eric, I knew he was the oldest thing in the room, the strongest and someone who I should ally myself with. Then Bill caught me looking, and suddenly I was disgusted more and more with each word that came out of his mouth. It turned me sour against Eric, and I had no idea why. Given my disability, I'm not normally someone so judgmental, but I was over him. Eric would find out about my 'gift' as he called it, and an agreement would be made. The deaths didn't end, and in the end, my grandmother became a target. 

“She was not a fangbanger by any means. She was simply a kind woman who didn't judge others because of what they were. Always teaching us that actions spoke louder than words. She was savagely murdered by the fangbanger killer, and a part of me wonders if Bill had something to do with that. I could understand myself being a target, what will Bill around, and me being naive. It was not until the Maenad attack and Dallas that I knew something was up. When that Maenad attacked me, and I was taken to Fangtasia. It was Eric who offered his blood to heal me, but Bill turned him down. I wanted to scream. If what Bill had told me about blood healing was true, then wouldn't Eric's blood have healed me faster. I'm surprised that Bill didn't fry me with all the blood he kept trying to pour down my throat.”

Sookie could feel both vampires tense in their bond with her, and she frowned. Eric pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her head as Godric moved to encircle her as well. Between the two vampires, she felt safe and cared for.

"Little One, we must go to Fangtasia now and discover Bill's treachery. However, before we go there are people who I must call. It would be safer if you were already bonded before we approach them. That won't be an option. We do not have time to fully allow ourselves the bond. Come, let us get this unpleasantness done."

Godric spoke softly as he stood and pulled Sookie to her feet. What she was wearing would be excellent for the club. They actually didn't mind that she didn't dress like a fangbanger. As he lead them through the house and out to the cars, Godric pulled out his phone and started to make the calls that he was dreading. The first was to Niall, asking that he come this night to bear witness to the vampire that had tried to turn his kin into a Renfield. The next was to the Magister, seeking if the man was still in the state and if he could come post-haste to Fangtasia.

Godric knew that being the Chief Enforcer for the Authority now, that he was within his rights to do what he chose to do, however, he wanted them to understand the reasons. Bill Compton had committed several crimes against not only the vampires but the House of Brigant, and he would pay. Both calls were answered, and both men agreed to be there. More than likely, they would be waiting on Eric and Godric. His final request was to Pam to inform her of what was going on and to advise her to get things ready for the arrival of two guests.

If Godric hadn't known that Niall could cloak his scent, he would have been nervous about having him around a vampire-like The Magister, but he was not worried. Neither man would want to hurt each other once they knew what was going on.

Climbing into the backseat of Eric's Corvette, Godric smiled as he kissed Sookie on the forehead before they all took off. Taking the car would allow them the time to think rather than just running, and it would enable Sookie to arrive and not look windblown. Fangtasia was not that far away from Eric's house, honestly, but he wouldn't tell anyone that.

As they pulled into the employee parking lot, Godric spoke with Eric through their bond. _Eric, let our visitors be a surprise for Sookie. I've summoned Niall and The Magister. Since Niall is Sookie's kin, he will have the right to torture Bill for what he has done. The Magister will want to know about his failure with his own progeny and all the things he's done with Sophie Anne. She might not like this, but it is necessary._

Sookie, we have some visitors. They will not hurt you, but I cannot tell you who they are until after the ordeal with Bill. Please just trust us and know that we would never want you hurt.

"I trust you both."

With those words, both vampires took her hand and escorted her into Fangtasia through the back entrance. Each vampire braced themselves for the onslaught they were about to walk into. Pam was waiting for them by the door to Eric's office, and she looked confused for a moment.

"Our guests are out at the bar, and we have officially closed for the night. The vermin aren't exactly happy about that, but I didn't think you wanted any of them to know what is about to happen. Sookie, how are you?"

"I'm well, Pam."

Eric led them all out to the central area of the club as he nodded at the Magister and at the person he assumed was Niall. He had never met the Prince of the Faeries, personally but he knew that his maker had.

Godric bowed deeply to the Prince, a sign of respect, and nodded to the Magister. "Niall, Magister, thank you both for arriving here. Our 'guests' are downstairs. Some facts have come to light, and we needed you here to bear witness to us finding out the truth. If you will, please review these documents and then make your choice."

Handing over the notes that Sookie had written documenting everything that Bill had done since arriving in Bon Temps that she was aware of as well as the actions of the shifter. Both of their little prisoners needed to understand that they could not go unpunished due to their efforts.

Both of the guests took their time and looked over the documentation. Niall, of course, believed Sookie because he had been shown the events of her life after he had made the first contact with her. Turning to look at his great-granddaughter between the two vampires he smiled.

"Sookie is of my blood. This Bill Compton has committed heinous crimes against the House of Brigant and our princess Sookie. I demand retribution and answers. Let us see what kind of man he truly is? Magister, you know as well as I do that his death is my right. As is it the right of her two mates. You were made aware of the Guardians' ruling, yes?"

"Yes, Niall, I was. Seeing as you are here, I figured this had something to do with your kin, but I also remember Eric and Compton's discussion of this young woman during their hearing. Bill killed another vampire and took away his sheriff's right to justice. He was forced to create another vampire as punishment, but perhaps I was too lenient."

Turning to look at the three he spoke, each part directed at each of them. He doubted that the fae-hybrid would want to watch this, and he would protect her if they so chose. Anyone that was under the protection of the Authority was under his protection as well. It was out of great respect and friendship that he took Niall at his word. Jorge was not stupid enough to cause a war between the fae and vampires once more.

"Godric and Eric, as by the rights of mates, you may claim Bill's life. It is also Niall's right to give the True Death to the vampire in retribution for his blood crimes against his family. Miss Stackhouse, I do not sense a full and complete bond, but I know that it must be on the horizon. To touch a bonded mate is punishable by death. If you do not wish to watch the scenes below, you can stay up here with me. I'm quite sure we can occupy our time with conversation. I would like to know why a human would risk so much for vampires that they do not know nor owe debts too."

It was with her soft nod that Sookie moved to the bar and away from the combatants. This was not how she had wanted to meet her great-grandfather in person, and she knew if she had seen him kill anyone, it would cloud her judgment. She did not want that for now.

Eric, Godric, and Pam vamped down to the basement with Niall following behind them. They were going to get answers, and soon. Pushing open the door, they waited to see what would happen. They could hear the shifter running his mouth and Compton too. Trying to plot, to plan and none of them would be successful.

"Well, well boys looks like we've got a party, and no one thought to invite me."


	9. Vengeful Moments

“Well, well boys looks like we've got a party, and no one thought to invite me.”

Eric's voice carried throughout the basement as he took in the sight before him. The shifter was chained with the usual chains to the wall, looking a little worse for the wear. Bruises and cuts could be seen across his skin and Eric didn't doubt for a moment that he had tried to cause a problem with his progeny.

Compton was securely bound in silver and hanging from the ceiling. With his feet not touching the ground, it was forcing his weight to be distributed from his arm as he dangled. There were clear signs of pain on his face as the smell of burning flesh rent the air. He looked more than secure, and for a moment Eric smiled even more extensive.

Three mighty beings were about to get all the answers that they needed, they had the Magister's approval to kill the bastard of a vampire, and they were not going to hesitate. Of course, they would need to record the proceedings so that they could turn it into the Authority as proof of what happened. There was also the fact that Bill's maker might try to make a nuisance of herself when they did kill him.

Letting Bill stew a moment would be beneficial as they moved towards Sam. He was the weak link, the one they knew they couldn't really kill. One could not be held accountable for their thoughts, even if they were glamoured. He wished, in a way, that Sam hadn't been glamoured and that they could find out the truth.

It was not hard to remove the glamour from the shifters mind, nor was it hard to force another glamour onto him. For a two-natured, he really was weak-minded. It should have been harder to glamour, especially for a vampire as young as Compton. Eric and Godric, with their age, would have less trouble.

With the glamour removed, Eric stood back to let Merlotte dig his own grave should he choose too.

"Tell me, shifter, are you aware of the things you said to Sookie earlier?"

"You mean the part where I basically told her that as long as she was fucking vampires that she'd not be able to work for me? Yeah. I remember. I've already lost one waitress to vampires; I will not see Sookie go down the same path. It's not hard to imagine that a good girl like her is going to end up dead or worse, a vampire. She's either going to stop being around your lot, or she's going to stop working for me. It's that simple."

"So your choice is to make her feel like shit?"

"If she feels that way then perhaps she is in the wrong. I've done nothing but express how I feel to her and, if she chooses to take it that way, I cannot do anything about it. I would have thought that she would have matured enough that she could handle people's thoughts."

Sam was well aware that he was treading on thin ice, but he needed them to understand. Coddling Sookie was not what he was going to do. He thought she was the type of woman who wouldn't be involved with vampires, that her 'gift' would keep her away from them. It had done the opposite. Now she would be forever lost to him, trapped between two of the most dangerous vampires in known existence. He wanted her to understand that she was giving up her friends and family for these _things._

Staring a moment at the shifter, all three vampires and the Faerie Prince wondered why he was so judgemental. As a supernatural creature himself, he should have more respect for anyone supernatural, at least over humans, but there was something wrong with the way his brain appeared to be wired. Yes in the grand scale of the two-natured, shifters were below were's but something else was going on.

With an unspoken agreement, the four moved closer to Sam. Each one was menacing on their own, but with Pam being the youngest, she was still slightly older than Bill Compton. Any age advantage was enough to push them over the top. They all knew that, and they would use that to their advantage; for as long as they were able.

Sam was lucky to a point. They could inflict far less damage on him than they could on a vampire, but that was not going to stop these four from exacting their revenge. Pam wanted a shot at the shifter, but she knew, without a doubt, that the right belonged to the other three. If they allowed it, she would participate, but they must grant her that access.

"Pam. Please go back up to the bar and make sure that Sookie and the Magister are on their best behavior. We don't wish to be forced to clean up another mess."

"Yes, Master."

Pam knew better than to argue. She would get her time to play when they allowed her. Darting back up to the central area of the bar, she would follow Eric's orders without question. She doubted that Sookie would mess up anything in the bar, but it might be helpful for the telepath to have at least a vampire she knew there between her and the Magister.

With Pam out-of-the-way, the two vampires and the one Faerie moved towards the shifter. There was no denying that Eric and Godric wanted more of a piece of Bill than they did Sam, but the pain was pain all the same.

"Perhaps, gentlemen, you will indulge me? Allow me to avenge my beloved grand-daughter from the thoughts of this lower life form. It would be an honor to show this _thing_ exactly why no one messes with a member of the Brigant line."

"Of course, your Highness."

Bowing to the prince, Eric and Godric moved away and stood near the wall to wait. They had to wonder if Sam even knows who Niall was. It was impossible for the supernatural communities to not know who the Prince of the Fae was. At least to them, it seemed impossible. Though they wondered if Sam really was stupid enough to not know. He seemed to know about the sheriffs and the vampire hierarchy, so he knew something about the supernatural races.

All eyes turned to Sam as he hung from the chains in Eric's dungeon. Usually, someone in his position should feel scared, but it was clear that the man was delusional. He was not even bothering to pretend that he was afraid. If he had been smart he should have been petrified of the two ancient vampires but more than that, of the strange man he'd never met that joined them.

Niall knew that looks were deceiving and for him, he knew that he looked right around the same age as Sookie. That was a good thing about extended living. He was never really going to age any past this point, and it always made his enemies forget what kind of threat he really could be.

"You really have no idea what you've done or who you've pissed off, do you shifter?"

It was a soft voice, but one filled with rage that forced Sam to turn and look at the younger man. Standing there in front of him was a man who looked no older than Sookie. Niall had worked hard to ensure that the names of the Fae struck fear into the hearts and minds of the rest of the supernatural races. It wasn't easy, but he had done it. Now he was standing before a shifter, a two-natured, and he was disgusted. Did they have no respect for anyone?

"I have no idea who the fuck you are. How should I? What I know about vampires I learned myself, and I know that someone like Eric doesn't deserve someone like Sookie. She's far too sweet and kind for the depraved likes of him or his twisted maker. As far as the Brigant's go... they are nothing more than a myth. A tale told to scare Vampires but no one else. Why should any of the other creatures care about Faeries?! Their only enemies were the vampires, and perhaps, each other."

Seeing that there was only one other person the occupants of the room could stare at, all eyes were on Sam. The strangeness of the situation was not lost on any of them. What was going on in that mind of his that would make him think he could get away with any of this? Maybe he was just dumb enough not to realize that Niall could read his thoughts also, even more, accessible than Sookie could.

The two vampires stayed out-of-the-way, even though both wanted very much to show him what he was going to earn for his talk.

_I sense no glamour from him. Are these truly his feelings? Has the supernatural world fallen into such disarray that the two-natured don't even know the name Brigant anymore? It's not as if the Fae representative to the Council has changed._

_I know not Eric. The more that Merlotte postures, the longer Bill has to try to plan an escape. Won't they both be in for a nasty shock when they realize that we know exactly what they are doing and are simply allowing them to try for our own amusement?_

The soft chuckles of the vampires drew looks, and Niall couldn't help but chuckle too. It seemed the vampires had come to the same conclusion that he had. While it was easy to reverse light glamours, ones that are stronger and deeper into the mind were harder to reverse. Especially if the vampire made it so that only they would be able to sense it and change it. Regardless of whether or not Sam Merlotte might be in a deep glamour, Niall had plans to make him sorry for what he thought.

"Normally, I would excuse your behavior as a glamour, but your lack of respect and deference to your elders, and your betters negate any of that. You see, _dog,_ as the current ruling monarch of the Fae Realm, and the Fae representative for the Supernatural Council, and with Godric's status and Sookie's as his and Eric's mate, I must enact the justice that is rightfully allowed. You see, as the new Chief Enforcer of the council, anyone that Godric has asked for protection is protected. Your insults to the woman could very well lead you to be killed. Of course, the Magister would have to be called. Oh, wait, he's just upstairs. You won't die; however, I do feel that you should at least be left with something to contemplate your actions."

For one brief moment, there was a look of triumph in Sam's eyes before Niall struck. The move was swift, and it was quick, and there was no doubting that most of Sam's ribs were now cracked. In all honesty, the blows that Niall was dealing with were mild in comparison to what Bill would be receiving. It was, after all, only Sam's thoughts. Unfortunately, Sam showed to be the weakling that he is when he passed out halfway through Niall's fun.

Letting the shifter down, watching the bruises from blue and black against his skin, they called one of the vampires down to drag him back to Bon Temps. Sam would remember what happened when he upset Sookie again.

Pouting, Niall turned to the vampires. "Well, that wasn't any fun at all. If I hadn't already been shielding Sookie from his thoughts, he might have actually been killed just a moment ago. Come, let's have fun with the vampire."

Eric and Godric chuckled a bit at the childlike glee that seemed to be coming from the Fae Prince. The rumors of how bloodthirsty the Fae could be were far from stories: they were truths. Godric had known this in his own dealings with Niall. Now they were all going to get to exact any sort of revenge they could.

Turning to the creature they wanted to work their frustration out on, three ancient and very dangerous supernatural beings descended upon Compton.

Hanging there as the silver ate through his arms, Bill hadn't been able to do much but listen and watch. The glamour he had put on the shifter had been buried and powerful, and, because of the command that no one but himself or death could break it, he knew that Sam would continue to alienate Sookie. Whatever love the man had for the blonde, Bill had twisted it into a hatred for fangbangers. It was only too easy.

In his mind, Sam had gotten what he deserved for being such an easy mark. Then again, none of these measures would have needed to be taken if Sookie had been someone who could be glamoured; since she could not, he had to change his plan. Sophie-Anne wanted the girl and if he was going to earn his favor back into the court and good graces of his queen he needed to come through big time.

Bill hadn't missed the voices upstairs. Sookie was here, along with the Magister, and the vampires were basically given free rein to do whatever they wanted. Bill was smart enough to be afraid of the three people standing before him. Fear, however, was not going to be enough. Panic would only make them stronger. He just hoped that he could bargain his way out of this. If he died, then the queen would probably send someone else to do the job, someone like André who would be more than happy to just snatch the girl.

Reading his intentions wasn't hard. Everyone in the room knew that Bill was likely to turn over on his Queen once more. They already had plenty of proof of both his and Sophie-Anne's involvement in trying to run Sookie's life and yet this vampire felt the need to continue to try to plead his case; even if it was an irrational idea.

Bill was already one arm short, Godric had ripped the other arm off and, without access to blood to heal and regrow, it made things awkward for Compton. For the moment, the smarmy vampire was quite sure he could talk his way out of anything that happened to him.

At least that had been the plan before Eric and Godric had set in. Each vampire took their time in their vengeance. Each action a singular focus so that Bill Compton would understand the pain he caused Sookie with every one of his thoughts. Niall was not left wanting either. It would be Niall that would gain the kill if only to spare Godric and Eric the wrath of Bill's maker.

Three hours worth of torture went by, and Bill had spilled everything there was to know about Sophie-Anne's plans, why he was in Bon Temps and pleadings to spare him and that he would never make the same mistake again. It was disgusting. He should have at least had the wherewithal to die with dignity, instead of like the coward he was.

Each person took their turn creating an artful masterpiece with the body of Compton. Eric started off the festivities. He was the youngest in the room, and it was a reminder to Bill to never estimate anyone. Yes, Eric had been a warrior in his own right before becoming a vampire, but he had retained that and been taught by Death. There were years of torture techniques the vampire could engage without blinking.

Simply beating on Compton wouldn't be enough, all thought the Viking found it somewhat therapeutic. Instead, he donned a pair of gloves and set about shoving silver stakes into various body parts of Bill. One stake in the shoulder, one in the knee and the other right in the groin. Eric didn't need to warn Bill, didn't need to say anything. Everything that came out of his mouth was proof and justification for their actions.

After Eric came Niall, they were saving Godric for last. Niall found it highly amusing to set various parts of Bill on fire. Using his light, he was slowly burning away the skin and bones of his other arm, the one Godric hadn't ripped off. Not much was said by either of those that were torturing Bill, but his mouth continued to pour forth words that no one wanted to hear.

When Godric finally took his turn, he was tired of hearing Compton speak, so his actions were swift as he removed Bill's fangs and tongue. At least they wouldn't have to listen to the sorry excuse for a vampire speak. By the time it was his turn to go, there wasn't much left to work with, but in all honesty, Godric did not mind. Yes, he was furious over what happened, but Bill was but one pawn in the grand scheme of things. No, he would get his final vengeance on the ones at the top.

In one brief and quick movement, Niall severed Bill's head from his body. The sword had appeared when the prince wished it, and he avoided letting it into the hands of the Viking. Eric would have been glorious but dangerous with such a weapon.

When the body of Compton crumbled to the ground in a fit of ooze and sludge, the vampires cringed. It was a mess, and they would have to clean it, but for now, they wanted to go check on their mate. Sookie had been upstairs with Pam and the Magister far longer than they would have liked. Longer than most would have expected her to handle it. Nothing in her emotions worried them, however, so they would clean up before they went upstairs.

It was a good thing that Eric kept a shower off the basement dungeon, or all three men would have gone upstairs covered in blood. There was only so much they could vanish away. Finally clean, sure that nothing of Compton remained on them and having sated their blood lust with his death, all three men ascended the stairs to the sounds of Sookie's laughter and Pam's mutterings.


	10. Amusing The Magister

_“Godric and Eric, as by the rights of mates, you may claim Bill’s life. It is also Niall’s right to give the True Death to the vampire in retribution for his blood crimes against his family. Miss Stackhouse, I do not sense a full and complete bond, but I know that it must be on the horizon. To touch a bonded mate is punishable by death. If you do not wish to watch the scenes below, you can stay up here with me. I’m quite sure we can occupy our time with conversation. I would like to know why a human would risk so much for vampires that they do not know nor owe debts too.”_

Sookie tried to school her emotions. She did not want this powerful vampire to sense that she was afraid. What she had no idea that there was nothing for her to fear from the Magister. He might very well be the judge, jury, and executioner of the vampire world, but she was in no danger from him. He knew well enough about the edict handed down by the Guardian as well as knowing that both Eric and Godric were older than he was.

When he was sure that the vampires were downstairs, along with the Fae Prince, the Magister smiled at the nervous blonde and motioned for her to join him on the throne. He really and truly did want to get to know her better. This Sookie Stackhouse was something of an unusual phenomenon. Most humans were not like her though he sensed that she was not entirely human either. Not if Niall was here calling her kin. He knew far more about things than most people assumed, even if he did not let on. No, he was quite sure that she was the woman of the prophecy, the woman that would unite the vampires. She would be the one that would decide the fate of all future vampires and their laws. He was looking forward to it, honestly.

"You are an extraordinary young woman Miss Stackhouse. For a vampire-like Northman to pay attention to you, elevates you higher than most of the vermin that visit Fangtasia. To not only land him as a lover but his maker as well. You are something exceptional. Know this. They are two of the oldest and most powerful vampires in North America. Their age surpasses most of the vampires that walk this earth, even myself. Enemies will come after you to get to them, thinking you are the weakest link. You aren't, though, are you?"

He knew that his questions would be a hindrance or a help. He was trying to get her to understand something. Just because she was still among the living, did not mean that she was weak.

Sookie took a seat next to the Magister and had no idea what to talk about. This was a mighty vampire. It was the vampire that had forced Bill into making Jessica because Bill had killed Longshadow for trying to attack her. Even now, as she sat in his presence, she was scared. She had no idea if he realized that she was the human that Eric had been trying to protect.

As he sat on the throne that Eric occupied most of the time, the Magister studied the woman. She was exceptional. She had not yet once started to cry or argue about Godric and Eric going downstairs to deal with Compton. Maybe she was smarter than he had given her credit for.

"Relax, young one. I will not hurt you. I know far more than you believe. I know your name, but perhaps you would relax some if you learned mine? I am called The Magister, but my true name is Jorge Alonso de San Diego. I was actually an inquisitor during the Spanish Inquisition. Fun times those were. I am here merely as a formality. Both Eric and Godric and even Prince Niall are well within their rights for what they do below. Bill Compton has committed several crimes that we refer to as Blood Offences. Each one is punishable by death. I was merciful to him at the trial, only forcing him to create a progeny. Giving him True Death at that time was not justified by his actions. However, after seeing all the evidence now, it is warranted."

Sookie frowned as she listened to the vampire speak. She understood that on some fundamental level, there were laws in place. Vampire laws and human laws alike. Some things were not to be forgiven by vampires, such as killing other vampires or being drained, but other offenses were minor. Yes, at first, she had been upset to learn that Bill had been forced into making a vampire who didn't want to be a vampire. She had been angry at Eric for reporting it, but once she had started to think about it, she knew they were right. If Eric at the time had let it slip, then he would have been guilty of far worse. As the area sheriff, it was his duty to report this. Even if he had planned to keep her safe.

"Bill never told me much about the rules. Always telling me it was Vampire business as if leaving me uneducated was the best idea. Eric and Godric had been trying to fill me in, but we've been running non-stop since we arrived back from Dallas after dealing with the Maenad. They haven't had time to teach me much."

With a gentle smile, Jorge knew that he could teach the little Fae much. He doubted that she even understood what she was exactly. When she did, she would be a formidable ally or enemy depending on which way he chose to play his hand. He wanted her as an ally, not an enemy. Enemy meant that both the Viking and the Gaul would be out for blood, with carte blanche to kill him. No, he valued his life too much for that.

"As far as the hierarchy goes, it is straightforward. Some believe our race started with a vampire named Lillith. She is the first. Her remains are protected by the Guardian. He is the one that has the final say in all things. Underneath him are the eight chancellors of the Vampire Authority. Normally for action to be taken of any magnitude, such as the revealing of our existence, there must be a unanimous decision among the chancellors with the Guardian breaking any tie. Underneath the Authority, there are various offshoots of powers. There are Enforcers. They are sent to deal with law-breaking. Both Godric and Eric at one time have been enforcers, and Godric is now again."

Taking a moment to let that soak in, he knew that he had more to tell her. It was tough to know every single offshoot of every vampire. He knew that. He was, however, going to give her a rundown of it all.

"The enforcers answer only to the Council, or the Vampire Authority as it is also called. Then you have the regents. The kings and queens. In North America, most of the dominion is broken up by states though some states have two rulers due to the size and other obligations. The regents are the highest authority in the States. Underneath them would be the sheriffs. Each Sheriff has an area. Eric is the sheriff of Area 5 in Louisiana, and Godric was the sheriff of Area 9 in Dallas. Some states have more areas than others, it all depends on the size of the state. There are the seconds to the sheriffs, which is what Isabel was and what Pam is for Eric. Then there is everyone else."

Pausing a moment again to let it sink in, he wondered what she might say about all of this. It wasn't that hard to understand, it was quite simple, really. He just knew that she was not someone to have known any of this.

"There are other fringe jobs like with the Enforcers. There is a Magister. I am the adjudicator of the Vampire Law. It is my job to oversee any trials that need to be held for rule-breaking that is beyond what a sheriff may punish for. When the case from Eric showed up, I was more than amused. Mr. Compton apparently knows not when to keep his mouth shut. While normally killing a human is frowned upon, unless that human is the bonded mate of a vampire, you are someone worthy of such an act Miss Stackhouse. You show more loyalty than you even realize, and I have no doubt that every vampire in Godric's former nest, as well as those of Eric's, will do anything to keep you safe. All you have to do is ask."

Such talk was far too heavy for his liking, and it didn't help him get to know the young woman. He wanted to hear from her own lips what happened to her in Bon Temps.

"Now. If you will permit an old man his questions. Can you please tell me how it is you came to be aware of vampires. I doubt a town like Bon Temps is covered in them."

Sookie had thought a moment about what to say. Already this vampire had told her more about the world than even Eric or Godric had. Not that she blamed them. They hadn't really had a chance to talk since the events in Dallas and then the Maenad. No, she knew they would have told her eventually. So saying the man that was kind enough to give her information would not be a hardship.

"I've lived in Bon Temps all my life. As you can imagine, it's not exactly a vampire-friendly town, but then I doubt that many small towns are. When y'all announced yourselves, I was happy but my boss, Sam, was not. We never expected to have a vampire in the area, so when Bill showed up, we all were a little shocked and stunned. I remember the first time I met him, he kept staring in my eyes, and I felt this pressure. I know now that he was trying to glamor me from the get-go. He sat in my area and expected me to wait on him. Of course, we didn't have any of that True Blood at the time. It's all spoiled. We hadn't expected a vampire see."

Taking a breath as she braced herself to explain, Sookie looked down at the floor. Her actions were not lost on Jorge as he watched her. This woman thinking she should be sorry or ashamed for anything she did, was a travesty. He was going to hear her story, however, before doing something about it.

"I went to get Bill some red wine, so it looked like he had a reason to stay. He seemed fixated on me from the moment he walked in, but it never clicked that he might be there for me. Needless to say, as the night wore on, the local drainers got ahold of him. They started to drain him there in the parking lot, and I saved him. Or so I thought at the time. The next night, he wanted to meet me after my shift, but he was late. I was attacked by the same drainers and nearly killed. Bill said he had to give me a lot of his blood for me to survive. At the time, I didn't know any better. Who would? It was a few days later when I met Eric for the first time. Everything sort of went downhill from there."

Frowning a moment Jorge thought about what he knew about Compton versus what she was telling him. Apparently, he came to the same conclusions that Compton's own sheriff had. Bill had been sent to procure Sookie, by any means necessary. He was using his blood tie to try to influence her, and it had worked until she took Eric and Godric's blood. He was also quite sure that he had glamoured the drainers into attacking him and then Sookie so that he could force his blood into her.

"Miss Stackhouse. I'm afraid that Bill is going to die. What he did was inexcusable. Yes, to some vampires, humans are nothing more than vermin, playthings, disposable. But we are never supposed to force our blood upon someone unwilling. Most of the time, when we take them as pets or as blood donors, they are aware and have done so by choice. It seems that Mr. Compton compelled the drainers to attack you so that he could get his blood in you. You refused him that first night. The smart thing to do. So he had to act rash. Sophie-Anne is not a lenient queen. She's a spoiled little brat who will be losing her throne soon enough. It is more than likely that his quest from her is the reason he forced his blood in you to begin with. You are fae. Your own grandfather is the ruling monarch, and that alone is a reason for his blood to stay out of your veins."

Sookie should have been shocked about the Fae comment, but she was not. She'd already met Niall in her dreams and wanted to talk to him more. That would have to wait though.

"Enough of this dark talk. Let us talk about something else."

Sookie laughed a moment at the tone that the Magister took. She had seen Pam come upstairs earlier but had not wanted to interrupt her conversation. Pam looked angry by what she heard, but the vampire had not said anything. Now as they sat around the throne, each waiting for the three men downstairs to be done, they talked about random things.

What shocked Sookie the most was the Magister talking with Pam about shoes. Apparently, the man had quite a healthy obsession with them as well. She would never understand it. Shoes. Out of all the things for a vampire to bond over it was shoes.

So lost in the lightheartedness of their conversations, the two vampires and the one fae hybrid never heard the door open or sensed the other presence until they saw them in their periphery.


	11. A Little Thing Called Trust

It was funny, a little thing called trust. How it seemed to go one way and then another. Only seeming to last for those that knew with whom to grant it. Sookie Stackhouse was quickly learning with whom she could trust and whom she could not. Even with a gift like hers, it made sense that she would have some reservations about trusting anyone. 

Sitting beside The Magister as he talked to her about the vampire world and the hierarchy she was to be a part of was comforting. That first time she had heard of him had been terrifying, especially with the fact that Bill had to create Jessica in compensation. However, now that she thought about it, it was Eric she was scared for, not Bill. 

"Life has a funny way of kicking us in our butt, does it not? My whole life, I could hear the voices of the humans, and what I am now learning are other supernatural; it made things so complicated. Always knowing who was being honest and who was not. Yet, vampires, I can't hear you. For the first time in my life, I can surround myself with people who quiet the voices' constant bombardment. True, I have a few shields that usually help, but they fail more than they should." 

Sookie wanted to giggle nervously as she turned to stare at the door that led to the dungeon underneath Fangtasia. Not being a vampire was having perks; she wouldn't have to hear the sounds going down below. Or smell them. 

"Trust me, Miss Stackhouse, learning who you can trust does not get any easier with age. The trick is to plan for all possible outcomes of a situation and hope that you never have to enact those plans." The Magister understood where she was coming from. He didn't have the ability to hear thoughts, but he had always had a way to sense vampires' character. Jorge could tell if someone was honest or deceitful, and given how much of it they were trying to use would often sway his judgments. Yet, he trusted almost no one. 

Sookie brushed a blonde lock behind her ear as she sighed. So much had been revealed to her in such a small amount of time that the woman was surprised she had not yet passed out. Information overload. It was a real thing, and she could feel it pulling at her. She could also hear some of the humans approaching the bar and wondering why the doors were locked, and it was closed. The disgust of being turned away was clear in each of their thoughts. 

Jorge was not sure what to say to the young woman. He could still sense the nervousness coming from the fairy princess beside him and wanted to put her mind at ease. Yet, telling her more about their world could do just the opposite. 

"I understand that y'all have justice and all that. I don't understand why someone would break the rules knowing that they might get killed." Was the next thing that came from Sookie as she turned to look at The Magister. 

"Bill Compton is an idiot. My maker should have ended him the first time they ran into each other, but Eric was trying not to cause any more bloodshed at the time." Pam's voice interrupted the duo as she handed Sookie a glass of water to drink. Even being the youngest creature there, she could sense the tension within the area. 

Looking at Pam, Sookie laughed somewhat. "Cheese and rice. Pam! Don't sneak up on me like that." 

Pam just flashed a fangy grin at the blonde as she moved to take a seat near the two of them. Too much testosterone was filling the downstairs, and Pam wanted to let Sookie know that she had at least one female she could rely on. 

"It's like this sugar lumps. You spent your life growing up in a town stuck in Mayberry times. Your grandmother instilled within you a love of that life, but she couldn't teach you about the world you've always been a part of. Normally, there would be a designated guardian who would teach you the ways, but you were kept a secret. I do not doubt that Prince Niall had guards on you and was content to let you live your life as a human as possible. If the Queen had not found out about you, you probably would still be in Bon Temps working as a waitress and being none the wiser." Pausing, Pam thought a moment about what she was trying to say. She might be just over a century and a half, but it had still taken her years to learn everything that this breather was having to learn now. 

"Miss Stackhouse. I will be the first to tell you that humans are not often thought of with much regard in the supernatural world. You're food for the most part, and for some, entertainment and a means to release some baser urges. However, you are not human. As such, you should have been afforded certain rights and liberties. Fae are rare, hybrids of them even rarer. The Fae race is often thought to be the most dangerous and a clear enemy to the vampires. Yet, they can work together and co-exist. Godric, Eric, and Niall are proof of that. 

As a member of the supernatural world, Bill should have asked you for permission to give you his blood. The only exception is in instances in which the supernatural creature cannot grant permission. Such as being beaten to the point that you're almost dead. After healing you, he should have advised what happened and taken you to the Sheriff in the area. The Sheriff would have assessed what happened and then contacted the ruling monarch and the council representative for your species. In this case, the Queen and Niall would have been contacted. You would be given a choice to have the blood removed from you through magic. 

The events that led to the vampire giving you their blood would be investigated, and if it were deemed to be in the protection of another supernatural truly, no punishment would be handed down. However, if it were determined that they had a hand in the situation, their monarch's judgment would be rendered and executed by the sheriff. 

However, you are not just a supe. You're the princess of the House of Brigant, true heir and descendant to the Sky Fae. As such, you should have never been put in a situation to have a vampire give you their blood at all. Unless they are your mate or mates." Pausing a moment, Jorge studied Miss Stackhouse to see if she understand what he was saying. She was above the ranks of humans and should have never had to suffer what she went through. 

"I guess I understand. It's a lot to learn in such a short amount of time. I knew I had this curse, and my family knew I was odd. I just never thought that it would be one of my family that would betray me like this. Before you ask, it is a simple fact to rule out those who knew about my quirk and are located in either Bon Temps or Shreveport. While I love him, Jason is too much of an idiot to have betrayed me like that. He's too busy doing stupid things in Bon Temps. So it had to be my cousin." 

Sookie could feel a tear start to trickle from her eye and slide down her face. Even before the vampires had come into it, her life was hard, and knowing that someone could so easily disregard all of that stung. 

"Miss Stackhouse. I am here as a formality. You have no fear of me. You are under the direct protection of the Guardian of the Authority. Your mates are two of the best sheriffs and enforcers we've ever had. Godric is the Chief Enforcer, answering to no one but the Guardian. Not just that, but you're the fairy princess. Anything that has been done to you would have been punished. I feel I must apologize for not knowing what was going on sooner." 

That was the last of that as the conversation quickly started to change towards shopping. Apparently, The Magister had a thing for shoes, and he and Pam soon got carried away with discussing shoes and where the best places were to buy the kind they liked. Sookie couldn't understand it. No, that is not quite accurate. She could understand their desire for fashion. It was simply that she had grown up with little with her parents and then even less with her grandmother as the woman took care of her and Jason. Money had been tight, and Sookie and Jason worked as soon as they were old enough to help. So she understood that some people had money, but it wasn't something she was familiar with.

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While Pam was upstairs with The Magister and Sookie, hopefully distracting the fairy from the danger below, Eric, Godric, and Niall were down in the basement handing out their own form of justice. 

Sam was lucky; he would not die. His crimes against Sookie were not as grievous. Instead, Niall would call the shifter council representative and alert him to the rogue shifter in Louisiana. He would be dealt with appropriately. Sam would be lucky if he didn't end up on some monitored watch from other shifters after this. 

When Sam had finally passed out from the 'tortures,' the trio turned their attention to one William Thomas Compton. Bill had been a thorn in Eric's side for years and why Eric had made his progeny. In truth, had Bill and his maker not been rampaging through the village that Pamela lived in, he may never have created a vampire child.

Bill was growling in pain and trying to think about what he could say to get him out of this. He had been there when the claim had been made that Sookie was under the Authority's protection. His queen still wanted the telepath and not only that, but his King wanted her as well. Yet, the appearance of Prince Niall did not spell well for this ending on a positive note. 

The trio was not planning to torture Bill yet. Well, they were, but they were going to make him wait. Anticipation was often worse than the act itself. The longer they waited, the more they could see that he was trying to come up with an excuse to get him out of the situation. All it would do is reveal some of the game players, but it will not save him. Sookie was a supe, and as such, was awarded certain levels of respect. He had failed even that. What made him think that a normal human would be a telepath? She had to be some supernatural species. Even Witches had rights. Bill just happened to be the unlucky sod sent to collect the heir to the Sky Fae, and he would pay for his crimes. 

As the eldest of the three and the blood heir of Sookie, it was Niall's right to enact his vengeance first. However, he knew that Eric and Godric were Sookie's, true mates. They were the ones destined to help her become all that she was meant to be. He would not deny them the justice of killing Bill. That would be his gift to them for trying to protect his kin. 

"The _dog_ might believe that we are nothing more than fairytales, but I know that you know better, Mr. Compton. After all, your maker's own maker ran afoul of a fairy and was ended for it. It may be the reason that Lorena is so crazy. That's not the point. All vampires are warned about what it means to cross the Fae. No human has the power to hear thoughts. Those are the gifts given to hybrids. People who possess a mix of the species and are awarded full rights under the laws that you know." Niall's voice was hard and rough. He was holding back his rage. 

Releasing the bonds on Bill's mouth, they granted him a moment to speak. Ignorance would not save him here but only dig the hole that much deeper. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kind words. It fueled the muse that has been dead inside for a while. I hope to finish this story and the rest.


End file.
